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Cold Weather Can Lead To Frozen Pipes

By Joel Hardy

01/08/2015

(KAIR)--The extreme temperatures of winter could bring problems to homeowners if proper steps aren't taken to keep pipes from freezing.

Assistant Director of Public Works and Utilities for the City of Atchison, Mike Stec, says the best thing you can do for your pipes is to simply keep them warm, and making sure the cold air cannot easily get to them. You can do this by making sure that any crawl spaces and doors are secure, and any cracks in your foundation are sealed. He adds that “One of the main places that pipes are freezing outside of crawl spaces and basements is next to outside walls. So anytime you have plumbing next to an outside wall, the more inside heat you can get to those walls, the better”. You can also let the water run in your faucets, but since this can be costly, it should be a last resort.

In the event your pipes do freeze, Stec says you can take steps to fix the problem yourself if you catch it early enough. However, the process can be a problem due to the threat of catching your home on fire, so you should not use an open flame for thawing.

Stec recommends using a space heater or a hair dryer to thaw pipes, but warns that such heating sources must be kept away from potentially combustible materials.

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