It’s “prepare for frozen pipe” season!! UGH! Reed’s is here to help you learn how to prevent this from happening. When the temp drops below 0 the risk of your pipes freezing and bursting is very high and also it’s the most common cause of property damage during cold weather and is VERY expensive to fix.
Here are a few tips to prevent frozen pipes:
Keep garage doors closed, especially if there are water supply lines in the garage.
Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing when temperatures drop extremely low!
Let the cold water drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe helps prevent pipes from freezing.
Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature during day and night.
If you plan to be away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.
For the long term, add insulation to attics, basements, and crawl spaces. Insulation will maintain higher temperatures in those areas.
Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a “pipe sleeve” or installing UL-listed “heat tape,” “heat cable,” or similar materials on exposed water pipes.
Now let’s all have a super safe and unfrozen winter but you can always call your personal plumbing pros at Reed’s day or night should this happen to you!