After the “polar vortex,” that much of the nation experienced last week, the temperatures are finally beginning to rise. Warmer temperatures can lead to frozen pipes beginning to thaw, and this can lead to cracks and leaks. Many home and business owners experienced there pipes bursting due to the temperature fluctuations. Frozen pipes can be both a messy and expensive issue, just make sure that you take preventative measures in order to protect your home or business.
- You should know how to turn off your water supply in case your pipes do freeze, this can potentially prevent any large damages.
- Use “pipe sleeves” to insulate exposed water pipes.
- Add insulation to attics, crawl spaces, and basements to maintain higher temperatures in these areas of your house.
- Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
- When the weather is cold– let water drip from your faucet. Even a small amount of water running through the pipes will prevent them from freezing.
- Make sure your hoses are drained and stored in a garage or shed to protect them.
- Always keep your thermostat above 55 degrees if you plan on leaving your home for an extended period of time.
- Have your furnace or broiler checked annually to make sure everything is properly operating.
If you were lucky enough to have made it through last weeks cold spell without a pipe bursting, consider doing a check up on all of your pipes to make sure everything is still well insulated. It is very important to have your furnace in good working condition, and the rest of your house be well-insulated. Take a walk around the inside and outside of your house to see if there are any potential pipe-freezing risks. If you see something that might cause some damage, fix it before it’s too late.