Top Four Ways To Prevent Frozen Pipes
Once the weather starts to get cold, the chances of your pipes freezing goes way up. Frozen pipes can burst and this can lead to huge plumbing bills and expensive water damage to your home. When the temperatures drop below freezing you are going to want to do some simple things to protect your plumbing system from freezing.
Here are 4 things you need to do to prevent frozen pipes:
- Open The Cabinets
- Let The Faucet Drip
- Keep The Heat Steady
- Insulate Your Pipes
Let’s take a closer look at each of these items…
Open The Cabinets
When it’s freezing outside you need to do things inside that are going to reduce the chances of your pipes freezing. When you open the cabinets under your kitchen and bathroom sink you let the warm air from inside of your house circulate around the pipes. This will prevent them from freezing.
Let The Faucet Drip
Letting your faucets drip slowly is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent your pipes from freezing. When the faucet is slightly running it will be impossible for the pipes to freeze. You only need to let them drip slowly and you will get the protection you need. You don’t need to let the water run fast. One drip a second should be enough to get the protection you need.
Keep The Heat Steady
Never let your house get too cold. Even if you are going away on vacation keep the furnace running at a normal level so you don’t have to worry about the pipes freezing. If the house gets too cold your chances of your pipes freezing goes way up. If you keep the house as warm as possible you reduce your chances of letting your pipes freeze.
Insulate Your Pipes
If your pipes are not insulated you will want to insulate them. This is cheap and easy to do. All you have to do is go to your home improvement store and get a foam covers for your pipes. Cut them to fit and place them over all of the exposed pipes. These covers add an extra layer of insulation to the pipes and will prevent them from getting so cold. The covers are cheap and they don’t take long to put on. These covers give you additional peace of mind and you won’t have to worry so much about the pipes bursting.
With these four simple steps you can dramatically decrease your chances of frozen pipes this winter. You will save money and have peace of mind knowing that your pipes are not going to freeze and burst.