Storms can come in all forms!!

1/19/2022 (Permalink)

Wall thermostat picture

Wind, rain, storms and flooding do a lot of damage every year in this country, Billions of dollars of damage. But recently we have had another type of disaster that has also caused billions of dollars of damage. Cold temperatures, or polar vortexes. 

When really cold temperatures affect an area, that can cause a strain on infrastructure, such as electricity. Without electricity, a building may loss its ability to keep the inside temperature high enough to prevent damage do to freezing pipes. These temperatures may not be sub-zero temps like those sometimes reached in the northern and midwestern states. Those temps only need to be below freezing to cause damage, especially in buildings that don't normally experiences temps that cold.

When temperatures are expected to really drop, we can take steps to help prevent pipes from freezing. 

A big help is keeping the overall inside temp warm. Some people go out of their homes or on vacation and they turn down the thermostat to the low 50's. That may seem warm, but there are areas within buildings where the temp may be much less than the thermostat setting, such as inside exterior walls, inside cabinets and vanities with water pipes and areas that might have cold air infiltration such as windows and doors. 

When the outside temps start to drop, take steps to protect your home. Open cabinets and vanities which have pipes. Let warm air get into those spaces; you could use a fan if needed. 

Let water drip, slowly out of pipes, especially if they are on exterior walls. Allowing water to drip will keep the water moving in a pipe and those pipes will be harder to freeze. And most importantly, keep the inside temps warm.

The damage caused by a burst pipe can be severe. Be aware during cold snaps to the inside conditions of your home. It may keep you from having to deal with a major water damage situation!