With winter just around the corner, protecting your pipes from freezing temperatures is crucial. When water freezes inside your pipes, pressure builds up inside. These frozen pipes can then burst and cause a significant amount of water damage to your home. Take the following steps to keep your pipes from getting too cold this season.
- Wrap them up — Wrapping vulnerable pipes with insulation or heat tape helps protect them from the cold. The pipes that are most likely to freeze are those that are exposed in parts of your home that don’t get much heat, such as your basement or attic.
- Open cabinets — Leave the cabinets under your bathroom and kitchen sinks open. This allows heat from inside the room to reach the pipes and keep them warm.
- Turn faucets on — Leave one or more faucets running on each floor of your home when temperatures are at or below zero. Turn them on slightly, so that a thin stream of water comes out. These faucets should be located on exterior walls.
- Make foam board barriers — For larger areas with pipes that need protection, cut out pieces of foam board to create a barrier. Put cut pieces of foam board in wood framing, and use drywall screws to hold them in place.
- Turn up the heat — Raising the temperature on your thermostat helps keep your basement and attic warmer, which reduces the risk of having frozen pipes in those areas.
- Put garden hoses away — Garden hoses that freeze with water inside can cause pressure buildup that affects indoor pipes. Drain these hoses and store them away for the season.
Keep in mind that you’ll also need to take steps to prevent frozen pipes if you’ll be away from home this winter. Don’t set the thermostat lower than 55 degrees, and turn off the main water supply. Flush all of your toilets and open all of your faucets before leaving.
Make sure your heating system is in good shape, so your pipes stay warm this winter. Contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning for service in the greater Lorain area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about preventing frozen pipes and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area