Understanding Frozen Pipes and Winterizing your home on LBI NJ
Frozen Pipes on Long Beach Island
Nathan Colmer | The Van Dyk Group
Cell: 609-290-4293 | Office: 800-222-0131 | ncolmer@vandykgroup.com
Click here to search all homes for sale in the Long Beach Island NJ real estate market
Long Beach Island New Jersey
Long Beach Island, or LBI as it is known, is summer resort town off the coast of southern New Jersey. The area is comprised mostly of second homes which means that they will sit unused for most of the winter. While some homeowners choose to completely shut off or winterize their property, others will leave their house “on” all winter which can lead to broken pipes due to freezing temperatures. Frozen Pipes on Long Beach Island can be a major headache and a costly repair so it is important for anyone looking to own a house on LBI to understand what can be done to prevent pipes from freezing!
Frozen Pipes on Long Beach Island
Unlike a primary residence where the water is constantly being used through the day, many homes on Long Beach Island will sit empty for the winter months. With no water moving through the pipes, steps need to be taken to ensure that the water in these pipes does not freeze. The best solution is to winterize the property which involves shutting off all water sources to the property. A plumber will turn off the water at the street, drain the water from the house and fill the pipes with anti-freeze. This way, no matter how cold the temperature falls, there is no water to freeze! The downside is the house cannot be used until the water is turned on to the house.
If a homeowner of LBI plans to use their house all year (as many will) then winterizing a house is out of the question. Therefore, steps must be taken to ensure that pipes will not freeze. A few tips are:
- Keep the heat on in the house no lower than 55 degrees
- Allow water to run out of the faucet all day and all night at a “pencil point” size drip (while this does prevent pipes from freezing it is a waste of water)
- Heat trace any pipes at risk of freezing
- Install an alarm that notifies your cell phone if the temperature drops below a determined setting (usually 50 degrees)
It is very important to safeguard against Frozen Pipes on Long Beach Island as most insurance policies will not pay anything for damage caused from frozen pipes as it is termed “homeowner neglect”. Therefore, if a pipe freezes and breaks, it can be a very expensive problem!
Owning a Home on LBI NJ
There are many surprising differences between owning a home on Long Beach Island and owning a primary residence inland. Frozen Pipes on Long Beach Island are but one of many differences that anyone looking to own a house on LBI MUST be aware of. There are many different materials and upgrades that can be installed on a house on LBI that will make your life easier and safeguard your investment. For more information about Frozen Pipes on Long Beach Island or owning a home on LBI NJ, feel free to contact me anytime!
Nathan Colmer | The Van Dyk Group
Cell: 609-290-4293 | Office: 800-222-0131 | ncolmer@vandykgroup.com
Click here to search all homes for sale in the Long Beach Island NJ real estate market
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