The temperatures lately have been down right freezing cold.
One of your main concerns right now is probably your pipes. Many homeowners have already had a frozen pipe disaster on their hands and the last thing they want is another one. We sent 102.5 WBOC’s Corey Phoebus to get a lesson on how to try to avoid frozen pipes and what to do if you find one.
Corey talks with Leif Hancock, owner of Hancock and Son Plumbing, Heating and Air about what preventative measures can be taken so you have less of a chance of your pipes freezing.
Leif says the most important thing you can do to prevent your pipes from freezing is to make sure your brick vents are closed and crawl space doors are closed to stop the wind from getting into your crawl space. If your pipes do become frozen, Leif says it’s best to call the professionals.
The fall is when you want to go around and close the vents and clear your crawl space. The best time to prepare your crawl space for winter is when summer is over.
“If your plumbing is prone to freezing, letting the water trickle will work,” Leif says. “Water freezes slower if it’s constantly moving.”
Therefore, as a last resort option to preventing your pipes from freezing, letting cold water trickle may help.
Leif says they see pipes believe when temperatures are in the 20’s and the wind is chilly. Another tip he gives is to disconnect outside garden hoses from the hose bib.
“Even if you have a frost-free hose bib, if you leave a garden hose connected to it, that stops the frost-free hose feature from working,” Leif says.
Water leads from your inside system outside through the hose bib, so if you have a nozzle on the end of your garden hose, it stops the water from draining out.
