If you live in an area of the country where the temps can fall below freezing — and as you know, that includes Kentucky — then the water pipes in your home are in danger of freezing. That is, unless you take the appropriate steps to prevent it.

When water freezes, it expands and can lead to burst pipes. To minimize damage to your home, you’ll want to quickly engage an affordable and professional local plumber to handle your pipe leak repairs. To keep an emergency situation from happening in the first place, here are seven tips to avoid burst water pipes:

  • Insulate your pipes
    Pipes in unheated areas of your home (basement, crawlspace, attic, garage) as well as pipes that run against exterior walls are the most prone to freezing. Foam pipe insulation or heat tape are fairly inexpensive investments against costly leaks and can be purchased at any hardware store.
  • Seal up air leaks
    Inspect your home to find any cracks or small openings that can allow cold air to reach your pipes. Seal them with caulk or spray foam insulation.
  • Let your faucets drip
    Everyone has heard that you should let your water faucets drip during periods of extremely cold weather. They even put out alerts about it on the local news. Just a small stream of water running through your pipes will keep them from freezing to the point of bursting.
  • Disconnect your garden hoses
    Take your outside hoses off the spigot, drain them completely, and store them inside for the winter. Don’t neglect to drain your swimming pool and the lines supplying your sprinkler system.
  • Know where your shutoff valves are
    Make sure you know where the main shutoff valve for the whole house is located, as well as your secondary valves, so you can find them in a hurry if you have a sudden leak. The faster you can stop the flow, the less damage will be caused.
  • Open up doors and cabinets
    Let the warm air in your home circulate to keep pipes located under sinks and in bathrooms from freezing.
  • Maintain a consistent indoor temperature
    Resist the urge to lower the temp on your thermostat in the evening to save money when it’s extremely cold.

Your local team at Knight’s Mechanical is ready to help if you need assistance preparing your plumbing for winter weather.

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