🚨 NWA Freeze Alert: Commercial Pipe Burst Prevention

Guide for Business Owners in Springdale, Fayetteville, and surrounding service areas.

For business owners across Northwest Arkansas, the winter cold brings the risk of a catastrophic pipe burst. A plumbing failure can lead to severe flooding, ruined inventory, damaged equipment, and a forced shutdown that threatens your bottom line and can ultimately shut down your business forever.

At 911 Restoration of Northwest Arkansas, we understand that your business continuity is needed for survival and that is why we act fast and hold your hand through the process.

Over the years we have seen many preventable disasters each winter, so we are hopeful this guide will shed some light for business owners.

You can use this essential guide outlined here to protect your business against the freezing temperatures and potential pipe burst that happen during a water damage disaster.

5 Steps to Freeze-Proof Your Business Facility

As a business owner, your best defense is a to take a proactive approach by following a simple plan.

Step 1: Maintain Minimum Heat (Protecting Your Assets)

• Set Thermostats to 55 degrees. Even if an area is unoccupied (storage rooms, back offices, unused restrooms), the temperature should never dip below this minimum threshold during the winter months. The cost of heating is pennies compared to the cost of commercial water damage.
• Circulate Warm Air: During cold snaps, instruct employees to open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls and leave mechanical closet doors ajar. This allows the building’s warmth to reach vulnerable pipes.

Step 2: Eliminate Cold Air Intrusion

• Seal Drafts: Walk your facility’s perimeter. Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal any gaps or cracks around windows, utility line entries, and foundation vents where freezing air can enter. If you need help with this, contact us.
• Secure Dock Doors: Ensure loading dock and large exterior doors seal completely when closed. These areas are huge points of vulnerability for adjacent piping.

Step 3: Key Insulation Areas

• Focus on Exposed Lines: Apply foam pipe insulation sleeves or heat trace cable to any exposed pipes in unheated areas: crawl spaces, attics, mechanical rooms, and areas near loading bays.
• Exterior Water Shut-Off: Before the first hard freeze, ensure the water supply to all exterior hose bibs is shut off internally and the lines are drained.

Step 4: Prepare Employees

• Allow Faucets to Drip: During periods when the outside temperature is sustained below 25 degrees, keep a very slow, continuous cold-water drip running from faucets connected to pipes on exterior walls. This releases pressure and keeps the water moving.
• Run Water Occasionally: Encourage employees to occasionally run water in little-used restrooms or break rooms to prevent stagnant water in the lines from freezing solid.

Step 5: Have an Emergency Plan

• Main Water Valve: Ensure you know the exact, labeled location of your facility’s main water shut-off valve. Shutting this valve off immediately following a pipe burst, is the single most important action you can take to limit water damage.
• Emergency Contact: Keep the 911 Restoration of Northwest Arkansas 24/7 emergency number clearly visible near the main shut-off valve. 479.223.5148.

🛑 When To Call 911 Restoration of NWA

During the winter months if you hear a strange bubbling sound or see a sudden water leak, take the below 2 steps.

1. IMMEDIATELY Shut off the main water supply.
2. Call 911 Restoration of Northwest Arkansas at 479.223.5148.

As your local NWA Restoration experts, we offer 24/7/365 rapid response.

We specialize in minimizing the interruption to your business by handling the entire restoration process with great communication, excellent customer service, water extraction, structural drying, mold prevention, and reconstruction.

Our team is certified and our company is licensed, bonded and ready to help your business this winter in any way we can.

Protect your assets, protect your revenue and protect your business. Don’t wait for the pipe to burst and put you out of business. To Get Commercial Water Damage help, call 479.223.5148.