Protecting Your Pipes During Freezing Conditions

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Freezing temperatures can cause a real headache for unprepared homeowners, but a little preparation and due diligence can prevent cold weather damage damage to your home.

During a hard freeze, you should cover your exposed water pipes with pipe sleeve insulation, fiberglass insulation, UL-listed heat tape or heat cable. You could also use several layers of newspaper when temperatures aren’t expected to remain cold for prolonged periods.

Your home may have pipes located in your attic, at the side of your house, crawl spaces, garages, under cabinets on exterior walls, at the water meter, and at the point where main supply lines cross the foundation into the house. Both hot and cold water lines need to be insulated.

Another simple way to prevent a plumbing nightmare is to let your faucet or bath tub drip during the night. "The coldest hours are usually from midnight to 5 a.m. Just a small amount of water moving through your system is needed to prevent it from leaking," said Alonso Berumen of B&B Plumbing and Construction, Inc.

Still not sure if your home is ready for freezing conditions? Get a professional to take a look at it. "We offer a free inspection to check the condition of your waterline and water heater," said Berumen. "If everything checks out, you have piece of mind knowing that your home is in good working order. If a problem is found, getting it repaired could prevent further damage and save you money on more costly repairs later on."