February 2014

The Central Ohio winter has been more severe than usual this year; even for homeowners who’ve never experience a frozen pipe or woken up to a faucet that doesn’t run. The good news is that there are things you can do to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Since Mother Nature doesn't look like she's done with us yet this year, keep in mind the following three tips when the temperature starts to dip below freezing:

  1. 1.    Insulate pipes in unheated areas. Pipes often run through crawl spaces, attics and other unheated areas. It's best to insulate these pipes--both the hot and cold--to keep them from freezing in extreme cold temperatures.
  2. 2.    Make sure that your outside water taps are turned off from the inside.It's easy to forget, but you want to be sure to turn off the water supply to any and all outdoor taps at the end of the fall outdoor season. Leaving water on can cause the line to freeze where it enters the house.
  3. 3.    Take extra measure when the temperature dips. When you know that the temperature will be dipping below zero, it's time to take a few extra precautions. Open the cabinets beneath your sinks to let the heated air in the house better reach the pipes. When it's extremely cold, you may want to leave your faucets dripping slightly. Even a little bit of running water will prevent the pipes from freezing. If you have water supply pipes in your garage, be sure to keep the garage door closed as much as possible when it's cold outside.

Of course, if your house isn’t warm enough, letting the taps drip and opening the cupboard doors won’t help. If you have an emergency heating problem, call Sub:BusinessName}. We've been helping central Ohio residents with furnace repair issues for more than 25 years.