If you have uninsulated pipes running in an uninsulated area, your pipes can easily freeze. The Building Research Council at the University of Illinois, has concluded the “temperature alert threshold” to be 20° F. Pipes exposed in an unheated and uninsulated area when the temperature drops to 20° F, are in extreme danger of freezing.
What measures are needed to preserve your pipes and keep your water running?
- Keep garage doors closed, especially if you have water supply lines in your garage.
- Open cabinet doors in your kitchen and bathroom to allow warmer air to circulate. This is critical if your sink is on the outside wall of your home. (Remember to put chemicals and cleaners away, if you have small children.)
- Let the cold water “trickle” from an outside faucet. It may not appear that a “trickle” will make a difference, but even the slightest movement of water will help deter freezing.
- Keep the thermostat at a constant temperature. A cold snap is not the time to turn down your heat at night.
- If you plan to be away, do not lower your heat below 55° F.
- Add insulation for the long term. In order to stop drafts, make sure to seal cracks around windows, doors, and sill plates.
