How To Prevent Frozen Water Pipes In Your Home

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An arctic blast is sending freezing temperatures throughout the Southeast, including New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana.

One of the worst feelings a homeowner can have is when their pipes freeze due to cold weather. That’s why it’s super important to not let it get to that point if you can help it.

And regardless of the weather, you can help it. But you’re going to need to take some precautions.

How To Prevent Frozen Pipes At Your Home

You’ve probably heard the old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Well, that’s certainly the case when it comes to preventing frozen pipes at your residence.

When doing these steps, if you don’t feel comfortable, make sure to contact a licensed plumber for your needs. On the other hand, if you can handle these simple tasks, you will be able to keep your home safe and dry and your bank account intact.

Let’s get started with the first of many steps:

1. Find Out Where Your Shutoff Values Are

Just in case you need to turn off your water, you should know where all your shutoff values are adjacent to your plumbing pipes. Look under the sinks and go outside next to the spigots and check out your shutoff values.

The reason this is so important is because in case of a burst pipe, you’ll need to quickly shut off water to that pipe.

2. Disconnect Your Garden Hose From The Spigots

While you’re at your spigots outside, go ahead and tighten them and disconnect them from any garden hoses so that any trapped water can’t expand and burst the piping.

Many homeowners skip this step, but if you leave a garden hose attached, there’s the possibility that water could be trapped between the spigot and the water house connector, which could freeze and create an issue. Be safe, not sorry!

3. Adjust Your Thermostat

The second thing you should do is look to get your home suitable to withstand the inclement weather outside. To do this, make sure your thermostat is set to at least 55 degrees. That way, you won’t have to worry about any interior freezing.

4. Open Your Sink Cabinet Doors

Another thing that many homeowners neglect to do is open their cupboards and sink cabinet doors. You want to encourage the free flow of warm air throughout your home. Opening the cabinet doors under your sink will help keep them warm and stave off the chill from outside.

5. Let Your Faucets Drip

For any faucets inside your home, turn them on so that they can drip throughout the night. This will allow water to continuously flow through the pipe and stop it from freezing.

You’ll want to make sure you check for any frozen pipes in your home. If you notice that a pipe is frozen, you’ll want to warm it with a hair dryer or by wrapping a warm towel around it that has been heated in hot water on the stove.

If you’re uncomfortable with doing any of these steps, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with a licensed plumber.

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Keisha Smith

Keisha Smith is a Contributing Writer who attended college at Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge. She is currently writing a book on south Louisiana culture.