We have some cold weather coming up and we want to make sure all our tenants stay warm and dry! Pipes can freeze and burst causing flooding and damage to the home and your belongings so here are some tips to keep those pipes running smoothly!
How To Keep your pipes from freezing
- Disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets.
- Keep your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher, even if you're leaving the house for an extended period of time.
- Open cabinet doors below sinks to allow heat from the home to circulate.
- Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. (Learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.)
- Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape. This can prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls.
- Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close openair vents. Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
- Heat your basement and consider weather sealing your windows.
- If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off water supply valves to your washing machine.
Here is a handy video about how to locate and shut off your main water supply in the event of a water leak emergency.