It's Getting Cold!

Welcome to the mountains of western North Carolina, where temperatures can rival northern Michigan, sometimes! Sure, the snowfall doesn't compare, but our low temperatures aren't too far off and when it gets below freezing, well, water wants to freeze. Unfortunately, ice fishing is not a thing down here and any ice whatsoever can be a disaster. This can be the case with plumbing and, yes, water filtration too. The number one cause of freezing pipes in freezing temps is, wait for it... the wind.

Generally speaking, if you can keep the wind off of plumbing and filtration, you lessen the likelihood of freezing. Where we see the most freezing is where the backwashing filtration drain line exits a building (when applicable). It's important for this line to be both pitched and insulated properly. Even so, on a cold enough day and, particularly, on the side of the house that gets no sun, the line can still freeze. The result of a drain line freezing is usually pretty benign. This pipe normally doesn't crack or burst (it's fairly flexible). If it freezes, filtration is simply unable to backwash (clean itself) until the line thaws. However, we will always do our best and take every step we can, to prevent the possibility of freezing when we install backwashing filtration. In any case, we would be doing you a disservice if we didn't emphasize the importance of having a heat source wherever filtration is installed, as well as adequate insulation, to trap said heat. We see a lot of filtration in pump houses, crawl spaces, and garages. In each space, temperatures should remain above freezing (32°F), if possible. Sometimes, things happen. Again, welcome to the mountains! If you have any water filtration questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

When temps drop below freezing for any extended period of time, as you know, pipes aren't the only places water freezes. If driveways and/or roads have any ice on them, our vans will not be able to make it. We understand the inconvenience to scheduling that this may cause but "better safe than sorry" is our philosophy, and our aim is to remain as resilient as we can in any circumstance. We remain committed to providing the very best service possible, safely, and successfully. We're here for you, we appreciate you and your trust, and we look forward to serving you, rain or shine (but not ice).