Insulate Your Pipes and Backflow Devices*
Unprotected water pipes can freeze and burst in freezing weather. This can cause severe damage, require expensive repairs, and temporarily force you to shut off the household water supply.
It doesn't freeze often in Seaside and Marina, but it is best to be prepared. You can avoid this potential problem by wrapping foam insulation around the outside pipes that are under pressure (see sketch below).
Anyone Can Wrap Pipes — No Special Tools Needed
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Measure the outside diameter of your pipe to determine the foam size and the length to be covered. (Foam insulation comes in ½", ¾", and 1" sizes
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You may purchase the foam insulation at your local hardware store.
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Trim the foam to the right length. (Straight cuts with a serrated kitchen knife works fine.) Or try the following:
- Cut two diagonals to make a turn.
- Cut out two V notches where the two pipes intersect.
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Wrap around the foam insulation with electrical tape, duct tape or copper wire.
*A backflow prevention device is mounted to the plumbing where water enters a home or building that prevents contaminated water from flowing from the outside in. For example, if a hose were left in a bucket of water used to clean a car, the backflow device would prevent the dirty water from the bucket from flowing back from the hose into a home.