It’s no secret that the weather here in our area can get very cold. And the lower that temperatures drop, the greater the chance there is that your pipes will freeze.
But there is something you can do about it. In fact, there are several steps that you can take to prevent your pipes from freezing this winter season.
Aside from the tips that we are listing below, you can also schedule plumbing maintenance in Gibsonia. A great way to take care of your pipes is by investing in professional service. You can keep reading to learn more about how to protect your pipes from freezing temperatures all season long.
Maintain Heat Inside
One of the easiest ways to protect your pipes is by keeping the heat on inside your house. This may seem like a given since you want to stay warm. However, there are many homeowners who turn the heat off or down when they are away from home for an extended period of time.
For example, if you plan a vacation for one or two weeks, you don’t want to pay to heat an empty house, so you turn down the thermostat. We caution you against turning the thermostat down too low. Maintaining heat inside your home is crucial to preventing pipes from freezing.
Open Cabinet Doors
Another tip for preventing frozen pipes is to open the cabinet doors in kitchens and bathrooms. This helps to expose those pipes so heat from your home can get inside and keep them warm. You can open the cabinets overnight while you’re asleep or during the day while you are away.
Drip Faucets
If there are freeze warnings in your area, you can also drip your faucets. It doesn’t take much water at all to make a difference. You don’t need to have your faucets running so that there is a full stream – just a drip will do. This keeps water moving through the pipes so that it has less of an opportunity to freeze. You can do this for your inside faucets, as well as the spigots outside that attach to a water hose.
Insulate Exposed Pipes and Fixtures
And speaking of those spigots outside for water hoses, it’s also a good idea to insulate them. This is an alternative to dripping those faucets. You can purchase Styrofoam covers that securely cover these faucets to prevent them from freezing.
You may also want to invest in extra pipe insulation for pipes that are exposed outside or underneath your home. This is especially important if you’re home sits up off of the ground and has a crawlspace.
Contact Kennihan Plumbing & Heating, Inc. today to schedule an appointment with our professionals. We treat your home like it’s our grandma’s home.