Protect your home from freezing pipes
Hopefully your new year has started off great and you're sticking to your new year's resolutions. We have started off in an icy cold tundra and I wanted to emphasize how important it is that you are protecting your plumbing from the relentless cold and devastating effect it could have on your pipes. When the weather remains freezing, especially in this below zero cold we are experiencing, your water and drain pipes run the risk of freezing and ultimately breaking. Here are some things you can do to minimize the risk of your pipes freezing and breaking.
- Make sure you maintain continual heat near any exposed piping, especially those uninsulated in the wall near the exterior of the house. You can use a space heater in most cases.
- It is also a good idea to wrap the exposed pipes in foam insulation or electrical heat tape which can be purchased from your local hardware store. If your pipes do freeze, do not apply direct heat to the pipe. This may cause the pipes to burst.
- If you plan on being away from your property during this cold period, you may want to leave your valves slightly opened. This will keep some flow in the water which may help prevent the line from freezing.
- This is also a time where trying to conserve heat energy may not be in your best interest. If you typically close vents or do not provide heat to a basement or top floor unit that is not in use, you may want to consider keeping heat flowing consistently through the whole house.
These tips may save you from thousands of dollars worth of damage to your property which can be caused from your pipes breaking and creating water damage.
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