Good Neighbor Stories

Cold weather snaps can break your pipes and burst your budget

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 11:18:00 -0600

“It’s going to freeze tonight. Let’s get the cabinets open and the faucets dripping.”

That is a sentence many people probably heard their mothers and fathers say growing up thinking it was just an “old tale”. Unfortunately in February of 2021, many of us learned those words were true. So. Very. True.

Pipes that freeze and then subsequently burst can cause damage far beyond what the average policyholder imagines. Frozen pipes can damage drywall, foundations, floors, toilets, electrical systems, and personal items. Not to mention that repairs can take weeks or months to finish.

In 2021, State Farm® paid more than $472 million in damages to policyholders just from frozen pipes claims. That total is nearly eight times more than the amount paid in 2020.

The winter storm in February 2021 increased frozen pipe claims across the country, moving Texas to the number one spot that Illinois held the past two years.

Most of the time, frozen pipes are preventable through a few simple steps. Two tips, two minutes is all it takes:

Leave cabinet doors open.
Let the faucets drip.

Keeping cabinet doors open allows for airflow from the room to help keep pipes warm. In addition, opening a faucet to allow a slow drip, keeps warmer water flowing through the pipes. Moving water is more difficult to freeze. Additionally, an open faucet will act as a release, helping prevent the pressure from building up inside the pipe, which leads it to burst.

The Winter Chill can Lead to Big Bills

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 14:59:23 -0600

Frozen water pipes are a problem in both cold and warmer climates, affecting a quarter-million families each winter, and it can happen in homes with both plastic and copper pipes. When a house's water pipes freeze, the situation is not as simple as calling a plumber. A 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons of water a day, causing flooding, serious structural damage, and the immediate potential for mold.

In 2019, State Farm paid more than $200 million for over 11,000 homeowners* claims related to frozen pipes across the U.S. Illinois ranks as the #1 state for frozen pipe losses. (*Note: excludes renters and condo unit claims)

“Damage resulting from frozen pipes is the most common winter loss claim,” says State Farm Loss Mitigation Administrator Jeff Feid. “The good news is that most of the time it can be prevented through a few simple steps.”

Click on the numbers in the interactive image below for simple maintenance tips to help prevent property damage.

Frozen Pipe Losses Up in 2018

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 13:09:00 -0600

Extreme cold temperatures can create costly problems for property owners. State Farm claims data shows that losses related to frozen pipes in 2018 totaled more than $270 million, an increase of more than $162 million from 2017. If the outside temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, water pipes in homes with insufficient insulation may freeze and break. Click on the numbers in the interactive image below for simple maintenance tips to help prevent property damage.

Top five states for frozen pipe water loss claims:

Illinois
New York
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas

In the News:

WGLT (Bloomington, IL): How To Avoid Frozen Pipes When Temperatures Plunge (01/29/19)