Open the doors to cabinets and vanities that house water pipes to allow warm air to circulate around the plumbing. Be especially careful of pipes on exterior walls.
Leave doors to any rooms or areas such as an unheated basement or garage with water pipes running through them to allow heat to enter these areas to help prevent frozen pipes. The extra fuel usage will likely still be less than the cost of a burst water pipe and water damage.
Keep your thermostat set higher than normal to maintain slightly higher interior temperatures. Keep the temperature set the same overnight as during the day to maintain warmer temperatures throughout the house. When it’s really cold out, keeping your home warmer throughout can protect pipes from freezing. Also, should your heat go out for some reason, your home will be warmer for a longer period of time.
Moving water is far less likely to freeze. Allow a small trickle of water to run out of your faucets. The extra cost of water is likely far less than the cost of a broken water pipe.
Always disconnect hoses from outdoor faucets. The hose can block water from draining from the spigot head and water can back up into the interior pipes and freeze.
If you don’t have a freeze-proof spigot, shut off the water valve to any outside faucets.
Keep an eye on your sump pump. A frozen drain pipe could result in a flooded basement.
Keep the garage door closed if there are any water supply lines running through it.
A cold snap is not the time to run out of fuel! You will be using more heat and therefore more fuel, so a full tank will ensure there is not interruption in your heat.
At 207 Plumbing & Heating, we provide 24/7 emergency services so we’re here to help you with any plumbing issue. Just give us a call at 207-653-0979.
