- Drain water from outdoor faucets and water systems. Prevent standing water from freezing in unused pipes by draining the water from the pipes before the season’s first freeze. Not sure how to do this? Follow these helpful steps from DoItYourself.com.
- Add insulation to any pipes that are outdoors or in unheated areas, including pipes connected to outdoor faucets, garden hoses, underground sprinkler-systems or pipes in crawl spaces, unfinished basements, attics, and garages. There are various types of insulation you can use, from newspaper and plastic wrap to more durable foam insulation pipe sleeves you can purchase at a hardware store.
- Leave your kitchen and bathroom cabinets open if you’re away from home for a long period of time. If you plan to go out of town or be away from your home for more than a day, lower your chances of frozen pipes by keeping your kitchen and bathroom cabinets open. This will ensure your pipes have access to the warm air inside your home.
- Never set your thermostat to lower than 55 degrees. It’s common for homeowners to try to save on winter energy costs by lowering their thermostats during the night or when they plan to leave town for the weekend. However, this can be a risky decision when low temperatures are expected. If you’re expecting subzero temperatures or wind chills, let your furnace blower run. This will more evenly heat your entire house, including those areas that are harder to reach, like the crawl space. Slightly higher energy bills will be less cumbersome to deal with than costly repair bills