Freezing Winters in the Midwest cities and Plumbing Concerns

[Leo B.]

In Midwest cities such as Indianapolis, Detroit, Milwaukee where there can be some really cold winters, is there a concern about the old plumbing system in the home?  I've heard of old pipes bursting and causing costly repairs as a result.  How do you mitigate against these risks if there are no leaks in the meantime?  Do you re-plumb the entire house?  Is there additional supplemental insurance you can purchase as part of the homeowner's insurance policy?

I've heard of some rehabbers replacing the entire plumbing system with PEX plumbing.  What is the average cost to re-plumb an entire house in those areas?

[BreAnn Stephenson]

Originally posted by @Leo B.:

@Richard Dunlop

@Mark M.

Thanks for the replies.  Do you communicate to the tenants to constantly heat the home to at least 40 degrees throughout the winter months to avoid the risk of bursting pipes?  Or do they already understand this risk and do it anyway?

 First, hi @Leo B. (and all!)... :)

Yes, one of the biggest risks during the winter for investment properties (especially vacant, although occupied can have issues too) would be water damage from burst pipes.

Although I would love to agree that all tenants would certainly keep the heat above 40 degrees because that is dang cold! ... some of them don't if they can't afford the heating bill. Then you have an even bigger issue of other heating sources being used like the stove or space heaters or burning phone books in a trashcan (Yes, we have seen it!)....which can end up burning the house down!

Also, some people end up turning the heat way low when they go on vacation in the winter and end up having pipes freeze then.... It's never unwise to keep educating... we all need reminders even about "common sense" items... the same is true of changing batteries in smoke detectors, etc. These are your assets and no one is going to take better care of them than you. The key is teaching tenants in such a way that they understand the impact that these loss prevention items can have on them... The impact on you may be financial, but the impact on them can result in relocation or even injury to themselves or the ones they care about... 

Back to frozen pipes...

The general rule of thumb is to leave the heat set to no lower than 55 degrees, but in some cases that may even be too low depending upon the location of a property's pipes. Advising tenants to keep faucets on a slow drip overnight if temps get very cold is a good idea, and opening up cabinet doors to let the heat circulate to pipes can help as well.

One thing to think about with winterizing is that it really is a pretty simple process, but will help you avoid water damage to vacant properties...even if you intend to keep the heat on, a winter storm with high winds or heavy snowfall can knock out the power and then you end up with NO heat at all. Having no water in your pipes at that point would be of great benefit to avoid a mess.

As for coverages, the Special Form format typically includes coverage for Water Damage, BUT you will usually need to be able to show that you have endeavored to keep the heat on (via utility bills, etc.) or have fully drained the system. Basic Form formats DO NOT include coverage for Water Damage so review your coverages if you don't know what kind of coverage you have or give your agent a call.

Hope that helps!

-BreAnn