Frozen Pipe Risk Check for Somerville, MA
A quick read on how likely the pipes in a Somerville house or condo are to freeze in the next cold snap, and what lowers the risk.
Your frozen pipe risk
Some risk. Keep the heat steady on cold nights and open sink cabinets on exterior walls.
(888) 629-3140Pipe split in the cold? CallThis is a planning figure only, built from typical Somerville water losses. The real scope comes from the on-site walkthrough and the moisture map.
How this tool works
Most Somerville triple-deckers stack their kitchens and bathrooms at the back of the house, often against exterior walls with little insulation, and many run pipes through enclosed back porches and stairwells. In a hard cold snap those are the first pipes to freeze. The tool adds up the factors that make a freeze more likely: pipes on exterior walls, pipes in unheated spaces, heat turned down or off, and a history of freezing.
It is a quick read, not an inspection. If a pipe does freeze and split, close the main before thawing it; see frozen pipe water damage and burst pipe water damage for what the cleanup involves. The Ready.gov winter weather page covers cold-weather preparation.
Water damage services in Somerville, MA
A pipe froze and split in a Somerville cold snap?
Close the main before thawing, then get the water out of the wall and the unit below.