Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter!

11/13/2018 (Permalink)

The Upper Peninsula  facing months of cold weather, which means months of potential dangers to your home. Winter’s heavy precipitation, freezing temperatures, and high winds can cause a great deal of damage, but the most costly and time-consuming winter home damage often comes from burst pipes. Luckily, taking a few small steps to ‘winterize’ your property can prevent future problems. Until spring, follow these simple tips:

1. Keep cabinet doors open during the coldest days of the month to circulate warm air around the pipes. Of course, be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals to a secure spot out of the reach of children.
   
   
2. Leave water on at a very slow trickle through faucets, especially from pipes lacking heat or insulation. The slow flow can often prevent water from freezing in place in the pipe.
   
   
3. If you have outdoor faucets, consider turning them off. Shutting off the valve in the basement, or crawl space, will prevent water from freezing in outdoor exposed pipes. Make sure to completely drain outdoor faucets, as well.  
   
   
4. If you leave for vacation, set the temperature in your home no lower than 55° F. Leaving the heat on ensures that all pipes will remain warm during your time away.
   
   
5. If there are water lines in the garage, keep the garage door shut! Open garage doors allow drafts to potentially freeze exposed pipes.

In the coldest days of winter, be sure to regularly check your water pipes and faucets. The earlier water damage is discovered, the easier it is to clean and contain—water leaks left unchecked for as little as 48 hours can easily result in mold growth.

If you have water damage, call SERVPRO of The Upper Peninsula at (906) 204-2450 to schedule an assessment and cleanup.  Your SERVPRO of The Upper Peninsula professionals  have the training, certifications, and equipment to mitigate quickly and prevent secondary damage.