Prepare your home for the cold before it's too late!

Water is unique in a way that when it freezes it expands. During winter when the temperature drops below freezing, the water in your pipes can freeze. Frozen pipes can burst and cause major problems for homeowners. The good news is that there are ways to prevent the pipes in and around your home from freezing.

Secure outdoor hoses, valves, and faucets

It’s important to remember to winterize your water lines that are at risk of freezing. Before the cold comes make sure you turn the shut off valves to off for outdoor items. This will stop water from accessing the pipe and prevent it from freezing. You will want to do this for every hose, valve, and faucet that will be exposed to the cold temperatures and be sure to do it before the first freeze of winter.

Keep garage doors closed

The garage is typically the coldest place in your home. Garages don’t usually have a heat supply and therefore, become chilly during the winter. With that said, pipes running near or around the garage are at risk of freezing. Keeping the garage doors closed at all times will help reduce the risk of freezing by keeping the temperature ideally above fifty five degrees.

Keep the thermostat set at a reasonable temperature

Setting the thermostat to a consistent and reasonable temperature will help keep your home at a temperature that will prevent any problems with freezing pipes. If you plan to leave your home for a few days or more during the winter, be sure to leave your heat on with the thermostat set at fifty five degrees or higher. Or you can turn your water off entirely.

Add insulation

To help protect your home from the cold, add insulation where it’s needed. Many homes lack insulation in the attic, garage, and basement. Adding proper insulation where needed will offer a long term solution to preventing freezing pipes in harder to heat places. Insulation will also help to heat your home more efficiently by keeping the warm air in.

Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors

Believe it or not, but opening your kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors can actually help prevent the pipes from freezing. It simply allows the warm air in your house to reach down below the cabinet space. This way the uninsulated pipes under sinks will have better access to heat.

Ensure pipes are in good condition

Are you aware of any leaks in the pipes of your home? Are the pipes in good condition? Are there areas that need improvement? Before winter, it’s best to make sure your pipes are in good standing.

Winter brings many challenges for homeowners. It’s critical that homeowners prepare themselves and their homes for major weather changes and a drop in temperature. With that, “winterizing your home” is right around the corner. It’s that time of the year where the pipes in your home are at risk of freezing. If you do come across a frozen pipe in your home, be proactive. Find a way to safely heat the area with the frozen pipe. Many people use a hair dryer to apply heat and may use a space heater to bring heat to the room.

If a pipe in your home ends up bursting, then it’s time to call the professionals. Your local plumber will be able to assess the situation and replace the pipe that burst so you can get your home back up and running. Edwards Plumbing is a professional plumbing company with over 20 years of experience. Edwards Plumbing can help resolve plumbing issues within your home with ease. Call us for your plumbing emergencies, such as a frozen or burst pipe!