How to Avoid Frozen Pipes When Temperatures Drop
Frozen pipes lead to bust pipes, and burst pipes can lead to flooding and water damage. And both hot and cold pipes can burst. All of this can be avoided by a few simple steps.
Temps are dropping in Virginia and this coming weekend they will be in the teens for Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads area. Just in time for Christmas-yikes! Don't worry, though, frozen pipes are no cause to freeze in your tracks. Meg Savell, GM over here at A-1 American has some tips to help make sure you DON'T need to call us for this reason.
- Wrap your outdoor spigots -
First, disconnect your spigot, and then wrap it. You can use anything to wrap it but old t-shirts and towels from the garage are usually the go-to. Wrap them up tight. And when we say tight, you want to make sure there is no air circulation. After you do this, wrap them tightly again with plastic bags. If you don't have garbage bags, a plastic bag from the grocery store will do. Last, but not least, wrap the plastic bag with masking or duct tape. There are covers you can buy specifically for this purpose too.
2. Disconnect and drain your water hoses -
Most people are so worried about the inside of the house, they don't think abut the outside of the house—i.e. your water hose(s). These can freeze too, and if you don't disconnect them, any water that's inside the hose will expand. This will damage your hose and could also cause your valves to leak.
3. Drip your faucets -
This is the tried and true method of water pipe prevention. You probably saw your parents do this when you were a child. It doesn't have to be a steady stream as long as its a steady drip. Believe us, a slightly higher water bill is a small price to pay for not having your pipes burst.
4. Open your cupboards -
Another one of your grandparents go-to's for pipe prevention, and there is a reason why its time tested and approved—it works. Just opening your cabinets up to expose them to the warmer air hopefully circulating in your house will add enough warmth to prevent them from freezing. Just make sure you remove any cleaners or toxic chemicals from underneath if you have pets or kids.
For any other pipes that are in exposed areas, try using heat tape. This can be found at your local hardware store. This is especially true for trailer and/or mobile homes, but houses can most certainly benefit as well.
Using these guidelines will almost certainly keep you from having to make a call when the mercury drops this weekend or later in the winter season, but if you forget or don't take these steps which results in a pipe damage, please don't hesitate to give us a call. We have technicians standing by throughout the week and weekend ready to help!
Meg had the opportunity to sit down with WAVY 10, and talk over a few of these points on the Hampton Roads Show. To see the clip and learn more about preventing frozen pipes in the Virginia Beach and greater Hampton Roads area click here!
And remember, we're not just A-1, we're A-1 American. Proudly serving ghe Hampton Roads area for over 30 years!
Call 757-425-2400
