Prevent Frozen Pipes

We are currently experiencing an arctic blast and with temperature this cold the possibility of your pipes freezing is a big concern. Below I will give you some tips to help prevent frozen pipes.* Disconnect your garden hoses and place covers on your outdoor spigots.
* Make sure you keep the temperature in your home at 68 degrees or higher.
* Open the cabinet doors under your sinks to let the heat from your house circulate around the pipes.
* Wrap the pipes that are nearest to your exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or heating tape.
* Close all windows near water pipes. Also cover or close open air vents. When freezing temperatures are combined with wind drafts that increase the risk for pipes to freeze
* Heat your basement
* Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home.
Monitor for probelms:
*Let your faucets drip lukewarm water to minimize freezing risks.
* The first sign of ice in your pipes is a reduced water flow.
* Make sure you check your water flow before you go to bed and again as soon as you wake up.
* Check your pipes in unheated areas like crawl spaces or attics.
* Seal drafts and make sure your chimney flue is closed. Caulk gaps that are close to pipes.
When pipes freeze:
* If your pipes do freeze, you can thaw it out with a hair dryer.
* You can thaw a frozen pipe by heating water on the stove , soak towels in hot water and wrap the around cold sections of the pipe.
* To thaw a pipe, start close to faucet. Make sure you have the faucet turned on so that the melted water can drip out.
When pipes burst:
* Shut off water at the main valve.
* If the break is in a hot water pipe, turn the valve off on the water heater.
* Call a plumbers as soon as possible.