Tips to keep pipes from busting in cold weather - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Tips to keep pipes from busting in cold weather

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -

When cold weather hits, it's good to keep your house warm. Pipes are a concern when it gets really cold. When water turns to ice, it expands causing problems in the home with money and warmth. Here is one thing you can do to prevent freezing pipes when it gets cold for too long.

It is also best to have routine maintenance of your heater and pipes to make sure you aren't stuck in the cold. We have other tips online to help save you a night in the cold and also money.

Tips from Dwayne Kirchoff, a heating technician with Hacker Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc.

  • Turn faucet on to a trickle to help avoid freezing of your pipes.
  • Open cabinet doors and allow the warm air to your pipes under the sink.
  • Purchase a heating blanket for your water heater so it won't have to work as hard to stay warm.
  • Check and replace your air filter frequently.
  • Heating tape is used for exposed pipes to help keep them warm.
  • If you use this, make sure you install it properly to avoid it starting a possible fire.
  • Pipes underground in your yard are a warm place for tree roots to travel towards and could damage your pipes. Trees roots actually grow more in the winter due to they try search warmer areas.
  • Pipes that intake air to generate warmer air for the house sometimes may suck in items such as bags, leaves an other debris. This can shut down the system due to safety concerns and may leave you stuck in the cold. Make sure you have routine maintenance to check over you heating elements and pipes.
  • Don't leave your hose hooked up to your water spicket outside. Leaving the valve open can allow the water to freeze inside of the pipe and inside of the house causing the pipe to break. You may not even know it until the springtime when you turn on your water for the first time and it sprays inside your house or even inside your walls.

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