Is Your House Ready For The Polar Vortex?
Unless you have been hibernating you must know by now that early next week we might see the coldest temperature in over 30 years. Since then, many houses have built and/or remodeled and never been exposed to such cold weather. Now is the time to get your house ready as a hard freeze is expected starting Sunday afternoon and to last until sometime Tuesday. Another freeze may happen on Wednesday too. A hard freeze definition is a temperature below 25 degrees for at least 2 hours. We will have temperature below that for much longer.
Demi Duderstadt, with Sweetwater Plumbing Company, has some pointers regarding what to do and look for. First of all, everything that is outside and exposed to the cold will freeze and needs to be protected. Pipe insulation can be bought at any hardware store but don’t forget the spigot. A towel can be used if you don’t wanna buy the spigot protector. Don’t forget about your wellhead. It needs to be covered as well. A blanket can be used but something waterproof might be ideal since it is expected to rain on Monday. Your water softener, if outside, also needs to be covered. Don’t forget about any water pipes in a barn that is not insulated and heated. If you drain your water heater because you think the plumbing around might freeze, don’t forget to remove the power to it.
Some easy tricks for inside the home
It can also be recommended to open cabinet doors where faucets are against an outside wall. You can also let your faucets drip around the home on the hot and cold side on sinks that have adequate drainage and no slow drains. This constant flow of water will prevent stagnant water from freezing and rupturing pipes.
What to do if your pipe burst??
Now is the time to know where your main water shut-off valve is located should the unexpected happens. It can be located outside your home where the water enters the structure. For some houses, it can be located in the garage. So, if you know or suspect a broken pipe in your house the first thing to do would be to obviously shut off the water at the main valve. The longer you wait, the more damage. You will need to have your pipe fix as quickly as possible since your whole house will be out of water.
If you don’t feel like doing all the work or are unable to you can call Demi at Sweetwater Plumbing as he can come and do it professionally. You can call him at (832) 428-4780 and if you mention his Facebook ad you will get 10% off his special. He will also be available to help if one of your pipes burst.
