20 minutes can save you thousands of dollars and a major headache.

The pipes that are most at risk are those in unheated, interior spaces. Such as: basements, attics, and garages. But even pipes running through cabinets or exterior walls can freeze. The good news is there are a few easy steps you can take to keep your water running and your house dry.

Follow these simple steps to help prevent frozen pipes when the temperatures plummet:

1. Keep your garage doors closed. Especially if there are water supply lines in the garage.
2. Open your kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing in your home.
   • If you have small children or pets, be sure to remove any harmful cleaners and household chemicals.
3. Let the cold-water drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe – even at a trickle – this helps prevent your pipes from freezing.
   • If your pipes do freeze, the release pressure in the water system will reduce the likelihood of a rupture.
4. If you normally turn the thermostat down at night, don’t do it during frigid temperatures. Keep your thermostat set to the temperature both during the day and at night.

Don’t forget your outdoor faucets:

In frosty temperatures, the outdoor water spigots installed on the wall of your home can easily freeze and burst. Unfortunately, the rupture in the pipe often occurs just inside the walls of your home, where it can lead to water damage if not quickly spotted. But it’s easy to prevent this problem with a couple of winterizing steps:

1. Disconnect your garden hoses. A hose that remains attached to the faucet may prevent residual water from draining. This trapped water can then freeze and cause your faucet to burst.
2. Install an outdoor faucet cover over each spigot on your house. These covers cost less than $10 and can be purchased at any local hardware store or home improvement stores. They are easy to install and cheap insurance against potentially costly damage.
3. If you want to take extra precaution and your home has separate shut-off for external faucets, turn it off and drain the water from those faucets.
4. Turn off and drain your sprinkler systems. You may want to call your professional service provider to find out the best steps for draining your system.

We hope these preventive steps will save you from have any problems. However, if you do end up with frozen or burst pipes that you cannot fix, our experienced plumbers are ready to come get your pipes running properly. Give us a call at 1-800-COMFORT to schedule a service call. Or follow the link: https://www.jamesriverair.com/schedule-service-call to set up a service call online.