The Cold Weather Is Coming, Are You Prepared?

If you live in an apartment/condo with radiant heating here are a few tips to help prevent the pipes from freezing.

1. Close the windows.  This seems fairly easy, however, we all know that one person who likes the fresh air in order to sleep or a breeze blowing no matter how cold it is outside.  When cold air enters a unit via an open window it collides with the warm/ambient air and drops suddenly to the floor. Often times this is where a radiant heat line is located and with enough exposure to the cold pipes can freeze and burst. Depending on the temperature of the cold air this can happen in a matter of minutes.
2. Furniture placement. When coordinating the placement of your furniture you should avoid placing items against the radiant heat lines.  The heater covers are designed for proper air flow and misplaced furniture can obstruct this allowing the stagnant, cold air to rupture the line.
3. The heat is on.  Keeping the heat at a reasonable temperature inside the unit will help to ensure that the radiant heat lines run smoothly.
4. Keep an eye out.  If you are planning a weekend getaway have someone you trust complete an inspection to ensure no pinhole leaks have developed. If unattended these small issues can turn into larger problems quickly!  If a flood occurs in an apartment/condo it does not take long for the water to start traveling down into other units or spaces. Being diligent on checking for water leaks we will help minimize the damage.

While taking precautions can help sometimes pipes can still burst. Should you find yourself in need of Property Restoration please give Rapid Response Restoration a call at 403-295-4693.  Our certified Technicians and team members are on call 24/7 to help.