When it gets cold, children begin to think of sledding, making snowmen, and drinking hot cocoa. You, on the other hand, begin to think about insulation, stopping any type of draft, and the lurking fear of frozen pipes. Sometimes you think of this ahead of time, and other times you think about it after you have left your house for an extended period of time. You begin to wonder if you did the things you need to do to prevent frozen pipes. Do you know what they are?
Faucet Dripping
It’s essential that you keep water running while you are away. Now, you don’t need to turn anything on all the way, leaving a faucet dripping or trickling out will work. You just need to make sure that the water remains moving so that it does not freeze up. This is important for the exposed pipes.
Heat
It is also essential that you do not turn the heat off at your house. It might seem like it is saving you money, but this does not help the house in the long run. You can leave the house at a steady temperature of no less than 55 degrees. It is better for the house instead of cycling to a lower temperature at night. Another way to help your pipes is to open the cabinet doors where piping is housed. This allows the warmer temperature from the room to surround your pipes.
Insulation
You can cover fragile piping with insulation material or blankets to help protect them while you are away. This will cut down on wind damage and help pipes that will not benefit from keeping the heat on. If you have any pipes in the garage area it will be important to keep the garage door closed. If you have someone watching your home while you are away, it will be important to tell them this. Your pipes can also get cold in an attic and/or crawlspace.
Water Off
If you are going to be out of the house for longer than seven days, you can also just turn the water off to your house. Doing this takes the guesswork out of whether you’ve taken care of enough while you are gone. Additionally, you can have a plumber come out and look over your pipe situation to help you determine everything that you need to be aware of before you head out of town.
