Frozen Pipes In St. Louis Park: How To Avoid A Burst

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN — The recent extreme cold temperatures have resulted in frozen water lines to homes and businesses in St. Louis Park and across the Twin Cities metro area. While the frost isn’t yet low enough to pipes in the ground, lines can freeze at the foundation where they enter a home, especially if the connection is in an unheated room, according to the city. This can lead to pipe leaks or bursts if left unattended.

If the water line that enters your house is unheated, follow these steps provided by the city of St. Louis Park:

• Run your cold water continuously at a rate of one gallon every four minutes – about the stream width of a pencil. The cold water should be run from the lowest point in your home or building, usually a laundry room sink or tub. Do not run hot water.
• If your pipes are frozen, use a small heater, blow dryer or heat tape to thaw the line where your service enters the building, usually near the water meter. Do not use an open flame, which could be exposed to combustion fumes.
• If your pipes have already frozen and been thawed, it’s essential to keep water running continuously. Turning the water off, even for a few minutes, could cause the once-frozen line to refreeze. Pipes that have frozen once are likely to refreeze if water is not run continuously at a rate of one gallon every four minutes – about the stream width of a pencil.
• Once the outside temperatures rise above freezing, don’t stop running your water. It will take frost much longer to leave the ground than just a few days of above-freezing temperatures.
• If you have a frozen water pipe and don’t have water service, call St. Louis Park Utilities during regular business hours at (952) 924-2562, or call (952) 924-2618 after hours.

Utility customers are responsible for the cost of increased water use needed to keep pipes unfrozen. While it’s important to balance the small risk of frozen water pipes against the increased cost of continuous water use and wasted water it’s also true that the cost of extra water use is most likely far smaller than the cost of repairing a frozen water line, according to the city.

Photo credit: In this Jan. 9, 2014 file photo, plumber Nate Petersen prepares a pump to shoot water into the incoming city water line, left pipe, that has been frozen at a south Minneapolis home. In 2013, all winter storm-related insurance losses totaled about $1.9 billion, according to the Insurance Information Institute. That includes damage from frozen pipes. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)