STATE WIDE–Zero degrees is mighty cold, and when a cold front comes through the state Sunday, the temperature will drops into the teens. In some parts of the state, Monday morning’s wake-up temperature will be at zero or below. You’re being advised to make sure your pipes don’t freeze and burst.
“In a situation where you’ve got sub-zero temperatures, the likely spots that you’re gonna have to worry about will be any areas of the home that are unheated,” said Richard Michaelis. His company, Michaelis Corporation, specializes in clean-up from disasters like fires and floods.
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He said pipes in garages, attics and crawl spaces are especially susceptible. He said making sure those areas get heat, or shutting off the water to those areas would be good precautions.
Michaelis also said you could open cabinet or vanity doors to make sure the pipes are being exposed to heat.
“This always goes against good judgement as far as being conservative with water, but letting the faucet drip, especially the cold water side,” said Michaelis. He said newer pipes are made to expand, but older pipes are more likely to freeze and burst.
If your pipes do freeze, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a disaster coming.
“Taking care, maybe trying to thaw that out with heating pads or hair driers or portable heaters may take care of the problem,” he said.
If the pipes do burst, Michaelis said calling a pro for a professional dry-out job would be a good idea within 24 to 48 hours, if you want to preserve the flooring and dry-wall and if you want to prevent mold.
If you’re going to be out-of-town when it’s really cold, he said have a friend or neighbor go check on the house and the pipes.
PHOTO: Getty Images/lightwriter
