5 Mistakes to Avoid to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Des Moines, Iowa

Prevent frozen pipes this winter with a few simple steps that protect your home from costly damage. Every fall, folks around the Des Moines Metro start getting ready for winter, we know what’s coming: cold mornings, hard freezes, and the kind of weather that can freeze a water line solid if you’re not prepared. When pipes freeze, they expand, and sometimes they burst, turning a little water problem into a big mess fast.

Most of those problems can be prevented. At Bell Brothers Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, we’ve been helping Central Iowa homeowners protect their homes for decades. Here are the five mistakes we see the most, along with simple ways to keep them from happening to you.

Why Do Pipes Freeze in Des Moines, Iowa?

When Iowa temperatures stay below freezing, water sitting in the lines can turn to ice. That ice blocks flow and puts pressure on the pipe walls until they split.

Pipes most likely to freeze:

• Outdoor spigots and hose hookups
• Lines running through basements, crawl spaces, and garages
• Pipes tucked inside exterior walls

Things that make it worse:

• Poor insulation around the pipe or wall
• Little or no warm air moving through the area
• A stretch of days when it never warms above freezing

Mistake #1: Not Insulating Exposed Pipes

Older houses in the Des Moines area are especially at risk for frozen pipes, with bare plumbing often exposed in basements, garages, or crawl spaces. Those uninsulated lines sit right in the cold, making it even more important to take steps to prevent frozen pipes before temperatures drop.

How to prevent it:

• Wrap the pipes before the first hard freeze hits. Foam sleeves or heat tape work well.
• Seal up cracks where cold air sneaks in.
• If you’re not sure what needs attention, have Bell Brothers take a look. We can insulate or handle pipe repair and replacement.

Mistake #2: Turning the Heat Too Low

Trying to save a few dollars on the heating bill sometimes ends up costing a lot more. We see it every year when folks turn the thermostat way down or off while they’re gone. One cold night and the pipes freeze solid.

How to prevent it:

• Keep the house at least 55 degrees, even if you’re away.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks so warm air can reach those lines.
• For long trips, a smart thermostat lets you check the temperature from your phone.

Mistake #3: Forgetting the Outdoor Faucets and Hoses

This one gets people every fall. They drain the sprinkler system but forget the garden hose still hooked up out back. Water sits in that hose, freezes, and pushes ice back into the house,  exactly the kind of situation proper prep can stop. Disconnecting hoses early is one of the simplest ways to prevent frozen pipes and avoid costly damage once the temperatures drop.

How to prevent it:

• Disconnect and drain every hose by mid-October.
• Shut off and drain outside spigots from the inside valve if you have one.
• Slip an insulated cover over each spigot for extra protection.
  If you find leaks or drips, schedule faucet repair

Mistake #4: Skipping Fall Plumbing Checkups

A quick inspection in the fall can save a huge headache in January. It’s easy to miss a pipe that runs along an outside wall until it’s too late.

How to prevent it:

• Schedule a fall plumbing inspection. We’ll check insulation, shut-off valves, and any exposed lines.
• If something looks risky, we can fix it on the spot.
• Bell Brothers does this kind of pre-winter check all over Polk County and Central Iowa.

Mistake #5: Waiting Too Long to Call for Help

When you turn on a faucet and only get a trickle, that pipe is already starting to freeze. Waiting won’t make it thaw; it will make it burst.

How to prevent it:

• Shut off the main water valve if you think a pipe is frozen.
• Warm the area gently with a hair dryer or space heater. Never use an open flame.
• Call Bell Brothers right away. We offer 24-hour emergency plumbing service across Des Moines and Central Iowa. When you call, a real person answers, and a tech heads your way.

How Bell Brothers Helps Prevent Frozen Pipes

We’ve seen just about everything an Iowa winter can throw at a plumbing system. Our licensed plumbers handle:

• Pipe insulation and winter prep
• Fall inspections to spot weak points
• Emergency thawing and plumbing repairs
• Around-the-clock response in the Des Moines Metro and Polk County

We’re local. We know how quickly the temperature can swing here and what it takes to keep a home safe when it does.

Schedule Your Frozen Pipe Prevention Service

Winter in Iowa is never simple, it can be thirty degrees one day and below zero the next. All it takes is one cold night for unprotected pipes to freeze and burst. The best time to get ready is right now, before the first real freeze.

Schedule a fall inspection with Bell Brothers Heating, Cooling & Plumbing to add insulation, check vulnerable lines, and prevent frozen pipes before the cold sets in. Our team is here to keep your plumbing safe, your water running, and your family comfortable through every Iowa winter.