Winter Weather Tip on Pipes
Winter is far from over in Texas and cold weather calamities can wreak havoc to your home. It’s important to keep your home protected from damage that freezing weather can cause. We’ve provided some tips of how your pipes can be affected by the debacles of winter weather and what you can do to avoid any problems.
FROZEN PIPES
About a quarter-million families each year have their homes ruined because of water pipes that freeze pumping thousands of gallons of water into their homes destroying carpet and furniture. An eighth-inch crack in a pipe can result in 250 gallons of water a day being pumped in your home. In many cases people must move out of their home while repairs are being made.
Here are some things you can do:
- Insulate pipes in the crawl spaces and attic and check them for cracks and leaks. Have any cracks or leaks repaired. These exposed pipes are the most vulnerable to freezing.
- Disconnect garden hoses to reduce the chance that the short span of pipe outside will freeze.
- Let indoor and outdoor faucets drip during cold snaps.
- Heat tape of thermostatically controlled heat cables can be used to wrap pipes. Be sure these products are approved by an independent testing laboratory.
- If you are going to be away from home, set the thermostat in your home no lower than 65 degrees and ask a neighbor to check your home daily.
- Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to uninsulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
- An emergency pressure release valve in your plumbing system is a top form of flood prevention. This type of valve automatically shuts off water when pressure is detected. Year round it not only protects from freezing pipes, it also protects pipes if a water appliance malfunctions.
Source: Southwest Insurance Information Services
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