Homeowners
Six Ways To Prevent Water Pipes From Freezing
- Insulate any and all pipes that are vulnerable to cold air. This can be done by using standard insulation material or through the use of Underwriters Laboratories (UL listed) approved heat tapes. Wrapping your pipes helps keep the warmth in and the freezing cold out.
- Keep your heat on. If you go on vacation or will be away, don't turn your heat off. It's not necessary to run it as high as you would if you were at home, but keeping the heat inside in the 60s will help you keep the pipes warm.
- Keep cabinet and closet doors open. When you leave your heat on to keep your pipes warm, a good way of helping the interior heat reach your pipes is to leave closet and cabinet doors open.
- Keep water moving to prevent it from freezing. Keep a faucet or faucets open slightly to keep water moving in the pipes. Ideally, the faucet(s) you leave on should be farthest from where the water main enters. That way, you keep water moving through all your pipes.
- Cut the water supply to outdoor faucets. In the colder months, it's a good idea to cut off the water and completely drain them.
- Shut off the water if you go away. If you're only going away from home for a few days or more, you may want to shut off your water and drain your supply by opening the lowest faucet in the house.
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