With winter well underway in many areas, you may be wondering how your pipes are faring, and what you can do to prevent them from freezing for the second half of the season.
A general handyman services company will be able to help you prepare your pipes for the next polar vortex and repair pipes if they do freeze. In general though, here are some things that can keep your pipes from freezing.
How to Prevent Your Pipes from Freezing This Winter
Keep your home warm – even when you’re traveling
If you’re traveling this winter, it may be tempting to turn the heat down or off to save a little money – but this can spell disaster for your water system. To prevent frozen pipes, set your thermostat no lower than 55°F throughout the winter. Before you leave for your trip, make sure to replace the thermostat battery if you haven’t done so over the last year.
Open up cabinet doors
To keep your pipes warm, open the under-cabinet doors for your bathroom, kitchen and laundry room sinks. This will circulate your home’s heat around the pipes, keeping them warm and unfrozen. If you don’t like staring at open cabinet doors all day, you can limit this to while you’re away on vacation or at night when the temperature dips.
Insulate exposed pipes
For pipes in colder areas of your home – such as the attic or basement – you’ll want to make sure they’re properly insulated from freezing temperatures. There are many pipe-insulating and warming products to choose from, including pipe tape, heating cables and foam pipe wrap, but the best solution will vary from home to home. An experienced general handyman service or plumbing professional can help identify and insulate any potential problem pipes your home may have.
If the power goes out, run the water a little
If your heat and power go out in the middle of winter, make sure to run the water just a trickle to keep it moving. Standing water in pipes is more susceptible to freezing, so letting the water flow on even just a light drip will keep your plumbing system safe.
Want to prepare? Pipes already frozen? Give us a call
If you want to level up your home’s winter weather protection, or are already dealing with frozen pipes, reach out to Handyman Connection. In addition to general handyman services, our experienced craftsmen offer a variety of home maintenance and repair services to keep your home warm, safe and dry all winter long, including electrical, plumbing, and more. Get in touch today – call 1-800-88-HANDY.
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