NORFOLK, Va. — As temperatures start to drop your pipes could be at risk of freezing. If pipes remain frozen for too long they could burst. It’s important to know how to protect your home and prevent this as the season gets colder so you don’t end up with pricey repairs.
“When we get a few days of consistent cold weather, usually we’ve average anywhere from 10 to 20 calls” said Mark White, general manager of Norfolk Plumbing.
Frozen pipes are common as we head into winter. When temperatures drop, especially into the teens, that’s when plumbers see more and more pipes freezing. It can also happen if your pipes have poor insulation.
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One of the most important things to do if your pipes do freeze is to immediately shut off your main water valve, according to Norfolk Plumbing experts. However, there are ways it can be prevented before it gets to that point.
“Anything that’s on a exterior wall in your crawlspace you want to make sure that’s insulated. Some things you can do are open the cabinet doors in your house and let the warm air circulate it around the piping. You can leave your faucets dripping to keep circulation through the pipes,” said White.
It was also advised that if there is a crawlspace in your home to keep those closed to stop wind from blowing through the pipes underneath your home. Jon Hambury, a Norfolk woman says she’s not running the risk.
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“We’ve had a frozen pipe but it didn’t burst, we were fortunate we caught it in time, so we’re very proactive about it now. One of the things that me and my husband do is turn off the water outside so that the water is out of the hoses. If it’s really really cold we will have a steady drip of water from the faucet,” said Jon.
To help people prevent pipes from bursting here’s a list of reminders:
- Keep garage doors closed if water supply lines are in the garage.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warm air to surround plumbing.
- When temperatures are below freezing, let the cold water drip from the faucet.
- Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both day and night.
Norfolk Plumbing also suggests it will be beneficial to check that your home is up to code.
