Hello out there, Carolina Forest! What’s the scoop, Conway? Hey y’all, it’s Cool Cat checking in with all my favorite cats in town! The coldest part of the year is nearly here so it’s a good time to talk about preventing frozen pipes. You might be thinking “But Cool Cat, we live at the beach! Why would we worry about frozen pipes?”… Well, friends, frozen pipes can happen anywhere. In fact, places with warm, humid climates like ours could even be more vulnerable to frozen pipes when a cold snap comes along because they’re less likely to be insulated and protected from the cold. That’s not coooooool! Preventing frozen pipes is much easier than dealing with water damage from a burst frozen pipe so Cool Cat wants to give you some tips to keep your pipes running smooth.
Tip 1: Check for and seal any cracks or holes under cabinets or anywhere you can access plumbing. All it takes is a tiny crack and a cold draft under a cabinet to create a big problem. Check around any pipes you can see and make sure any crack or cold air leak is sealed up tight.
Tip 2: Add insulation around exposed pipes. You might have exposed pipes in your garage, basement, attic or even outside that are particularly vulnerable to cold air. Most home improvement stores sell pre-cut tubes of insulation material that fit right over your exposed pipes to help hold in heat and keep pipes from freezing. Of course, if you need help making sure all vulnerable plumbing in your house is protected, you can always call the cats over at Carolina Cool to help!
Tip 3: Open doors of cabinets that house plumbing. A lot of the pipes inside the home can be accessed inside cabinets in places like bathrooms and kitchens. Simply opening up those cabinet doors so that warm air from your home circulates better into that space can help prevent a frozen pipe catastrophe.
Tip 4: Leave faucet set to a slight drip. Setting your faucet to drip just a slight bit can help prevent a major pipe burst if you do have a frozen pipe issue. Incoming water pipes are pressurized. When a pipe freezes, the pressure that builds up between the frozen area and the faucet is usually what causes the pipe to burst. By keeping a little drip of water going, you help avoid pressure build-up.
Tip 5: Keep the heat on. Even if you are traveling or away for a period of time, you want to make sure to keep your heat on and those cabinet doors in tip 3 open. Keeping your thermostat set to a minimum of 60 degrees should be warm enough to help prevent frozen pipes and returning from your trip to a major flood in your home.
Following these simple 5 tips should help you prevent frozen pipes and the mess they can cause during the cold part of the year. If you do have a frozen pipe situation, call the cats over at Carolina Cool ASAP so they can get out to help deal with the freeze up before it has a chance to burst. They have the top-notch techs that do it all with one call! This is Cool Cat, heading out to find a nice warm place for a good nap!
