The horror stories start about this time every year, shortly after the first hard freeze, when the uninsulated pipes have frozen.

In one instance, a homeowner didn’t understand why her water bill went up, but the water pressure went down. When things thawed out, she noticed a wet spot on her lawn. Pipes had broken underneath her house, and the water from them soaked through the foundation wall and pooled in the yard.

“You have to insulate your pipes in this (Central Oregon) area,” said Terry Foster of Ace Hardware in La Pine. “The horror stories are all pretty much the same: People didn’t expect it to freeze, they didn’t expect it to happen so soon and they didn’t think about insulating their pipes this early. It freezes the pipes and the mess is terrible.”

The problem is particularly bad for newcomers who have never experienced a Central Oregon winter.

“We’ve had people come in who have already bought property and ask if it snows here in La Pine, or if the weather gets very cold,” Foster said. “Hopefully, they will come in before the first freeze!”

Insulating water pipes in Central Oregon is important because of the potential damage. Water freezing creates pressure of 40,000 pounds per square inch and freezing water expands in volume by 15 percent. This causes pipes to crack. As the water thaws, these cracks become pressurized leaks that spray all over everything.

Insulating pipes is not required by city or county building codes. If you live in an older home or have bought a new one, now is a good time to inspect the water pipes.

“Check your pipe insulation now,” Foster advises. “It is much easier to insulate or put heat tape on pipes before they freeze. You don’t want to have to replace the pipes because they broke and then still have to insulate them.”

Some problems may be found by inspecting the crawl space, that area between the subfloor and ground. Look for any plumbing or sewer leaks, condensation or standing water.

Once a pipe breaks, it may take a carpenter to figure out the extent of the damage. The leaks you see may just be the place where the pipe broke first. There may be other hidden leaks that can damage the floor and walls.

Usually, insulating the pipes will prevent damage in the first place.

There are two main types of pipe insulation, according to Joe Carrillo of Searing Electric and Plumbing in Bend. There is insulation wrap (tape strips of fiberglass insulation) and pipe sleeves.

Insulation wrap goes on pipes mummy-style.

Pipe sleeves are made with polyethylene or neoprene foam. For a snug fit, match the pipe sleeves’ inside diameter to the pipes’ outside diameter. Place the pipe sleeve so the seam will be face down on the pipe.

Tape, wire or clamp (with a cable tie) it every foot or two to secure it to the pipe.

The usual procedure for local builders, Carrillo said, is to run water pipes under the floor next to a joist and cover the whole bottom of the floor with insulation.

Usually, the heat from the house should keep the pipes from freezing.

Also, the house foundation seals out most of the cold, Carrillo added, provided the air circulation vents have been closed or insulated. See a local hardware store for insulated vent plugs to seal off the foundation.

That one cold night, where it warms up the next day, might not cause the pipe to freeze, Carrillo said. It’s the extended cold spells, lasting several days, that cause damage.

While the new Pex flexible polyethylene piping won’t break when frozen, he added, it is never a good idea to allow a pipe to freeze. Even if the Pex doesn’t break, there won’t be any water until the pipe is thawed.

A common myth is that leaving a faucet running will keep a pipe from freezing. There may be a buildup of ice in the pipe, Carrillo said, and water will continue to flow until it freezes solid. Leaving a faucet running during a really cold night may help. During an extended cold period, that pipe may still freeze.

Another common misconception is that heat tape can be used to thaw out frozen pipes.

“Heat tape only produces about six watts of heat, and that is not enough to thaw a pipe,” Carrillo said. “We recommend you plug the heat tape into a Thermo Cube, (an inexpensive, plug-in thermostat) that comes on at 35 degrees and shuts off at 45 degrees. Heat tape will prevent the pipes from freezing.”

So where should you look for potential pipe-freezing problems?

The most vulnerable pipes are those coming out of the ground or from outside into the foundation, Carrillo said.

On new construction, see if any water pipes are near the concrete foundation or coming in that haven’t been insulated, Carrillo said. On older homes, see if there are any pipes extending below the insulation.

Bare pipes next to the concrete foundation can freeze, and an exposed bend in a pipe is a potential trouble spot. Don’t ignore or forget to insulate hot water pipes.

And most importantly, check all your pipes now.

“Procrastination is the worst enemy,” Foster said. “Cold weather is going to come. Check the insulation on your pipes now and you’ll avoid problems later.”