5 Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes this Winter
When the winter winds and colder temperatures come calling, it's time to safeguard your largest investment — your home. The frigid air spells trouble for your plumbing pipes if you're not prepared so we want to make sure you're ready for a hassle-free and safe winter.
According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, frozen pipes average a cost of $5,000 worth of damage per incident. Not to mention the inconvenience of either having to relocate temporarily or endure repair work if damage occurs. Let's ensure this doesn't happen to you and your family.
Here's a few tips to proactively protect your home from burst pipes and water damage:
- Disconnect any outside garden hoses from all the spigots on the exterior of your home. Be sure to drain them from all water and store them in your garage for use in the spring. Then make sure you close all the indoor valves supplying water to these outdoor faucets.
- Insulate the areas around all of your light fixtures and vents. It helps prevent your heat from escaping into your attic.
- Let your interior faucets drip cold water on the chilliest days. Do this by barely turning the faucet on and letting water trickle out drip by drip. Moving water makes it a bit more difficult for water to freeze in your pipes.
- Ensure you have proper seals on all of your doors and windows. Install better weatherstripping if needed. This will also help improve your heating bill too!
- Maintain the same temperature on your household thermostat from day to night. Never let it dip below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, especially when you leave your home. (FYI - it's also not good to let your sheetrock get below that temperature either. It could create unsightly cracks on seams and corners.)
Extra credit: Wrap the exterior pipe and spigot for any outdoor hose connections with plastic first and then a few turns of burlap and seal with tape to take extra precaution against Old Man Winter.
And that's it! You're well on your way to a safer winter season by just taking a few cautionary steps. Now go enjoy that crackling fire while you watch the snow fall from the comfort of your cozy home!
