Is your home ready to weather the winter?
By David Haut Specialty Publications

Homeowners face great responsibility throughout the year. Mowing the lawn in the spring, keeping in green in the summer, raking the leaves in the fall - it all adds up to work in one way or another. To make matters worse, the winter months usually mean more work in preparation for the cold months ahead, and the time to prepare is now.

For most homeowners, that means gearing up for a trip to the basement or, gulp, the crawlspace to check on the pipes.

Pipes are of the utmost importance to homeowners during the winter months because of the unique property of water. When it freezes, it expands, causing pipes (metal or plastic) to break. Broken water pipes can cost thousands of dollars to repair, plus they come as a major inconvenience to you and your family.

The most common broken pipes are ones exposed to severe cold. These include sprinkler and pool lines, outdoor and exterior pipes and interior pipes in unheated areas (basements, crawl spaces, attic, etc.)

The American Red Cross' Web site, Prevent.org, recommends the following when it comes to preserving your pipes:

Before the onset of cold weather, prevent freezing of these water supply lines and pipes by following these recommendations:

. Drain water from swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines following manufacturer's or installer's directions. Do not put antifreeze in these lines unless directed. Antifreeze is environmentally harmful, and is dangerous to humans, pets, wildlife and landscaping.

. Remove, drain and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in

the pipe can expand

without

cause the

pipe to break.

. Check around the

home for other areas

where water supply lines are located and are in unheated areas. Look in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated. A hot water supply line can freeze just as a cold water supply line can freeze if the water is not running through the pipe and the water temperature in the pipe is cold.

. Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a "pipe sleeve" or installing UL-listed "heat tape," "heat cable" or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Many products are available at your local building supplies retailer. Pipes should be carefully wrapped, with ends butted tightly and joints wrapped with tape. Follow manufacturer's recommendations for installing and using

these

products. Newspaper can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes-even 1/4-inch of newspaper can provide significant protection in areas that usually do not have frequent or prolonged temperatures below freezing.

During Cold Weather, Take Preventive Action

. Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.

. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.

. When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe-even at a trickle-helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing.

. Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.

If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55F.

To Thaw Frozen Pipes

If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Locate the suspected frozen area of the water pipe. Likely places

include pipes running

against exterior

walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation.

. Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt more ice in the pipe.

. Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials) or wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal

stove or other open flame device. A blowtorch can make water in a

frozen pipe boil

and cause the pipe to explode. All open flames in homes present a serious fire danger, as well as a severe risk of exposure to lethal carbon monoxide.

. Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.

. Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.