Exterior Pipe Safety Tips

12/20/2017 (Permalink)

It’s the holiday season and with that comes cooler holiday temperatures.  As the temperatures occasionally drop below freezing here in Texas, consider the safety of your home and prevent disaster striking by not leaving any pipes exposed.  Here are a few tips to consider to avoid any busted pipes this holiday season:

• Insulate pipes, especially those close to outside walls, attics or crawl spaces where the chance of freezing is greatest
• Seal air leaks surrounding or near pipes
• Disconnect all outdoor hoses and turn off water to exterior faucets and sprinkler systems
• Keep heat at 55 degrees F. or higher even when you are out of town
• During a cold spell turn on both hot and cold faucets near outside walls to allow a small trickle of water to run during the night
• If you need to be away from home, drain your water system before you go
• Identify the locations of shutoff valves so that you are prepared to stop the flow of water as soon as possible when a pipe bursts