Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter

Frozen pipes can be a huge inconvenience and a mess to clean up if they burst. Before it’s too late, now is a good time to learn how to protect your home from costly repairs.

Having the pipes in your home freeze can be easily prevented if you know what to do. Here are a few tips to help prevent frozen pipes and keep you safe from risk this season:

• Leave your water dripping overnight. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing. If you're worried about the water bill, once you get the repair bill, you'll regret worrying about the water bill.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• Disconnect your garden hose from the faucet outside and cover the faucet to prevent it from freezing.

Use these tips to help prevent frozen pipes this winter. In the event, you need to file a claim, call us immediately!

For more info about preventing frozen pipes, and for tips on how to thaw pipes that are already frozen, visit the Red Cross’ tips website at www.redcross.org.

Stay warm this winter!