Plumber Provides Tips to Protect Your Pipes from Cold Weather

With temperatures getting into the teens later this week frozen and burst pipes are something you want to prevent.  ABC 31 News’ Joel Massey spoke with a local plumber about some tips to protect your pipes.

Extreme cold will be moving into the area this week and Stephen Mott with Carr, Osborne and Mott Plumbing has some tips on making sure your pipes are protected.

“Protecting your pipes with insulation number one, anything that’s easy to get to, accessible needs to be insulated.  You need to disconnect all your water hoses.  They have covers for faucets, for outside, leaving the water dripping and also preparing vacant property.”

Mott suggests only turning water off at the main if it is a vacant property.

“Turning off the water.  You can put a little antifreeze in the toilet bowl a little bit in the p-traps to keep them from freezing and bursting.”

Mott expects to get some calls to repair pipes this week, but he says the severity depends on how long the cold weather lasts.

“It all depends on how long the temperature’s going to stay below freezing, will depend on the severity of broken pipes due to cold weather.  If it is under freezing temperatures for more than 24 hours, I expect a lot of broken pipes but anything less than 12 I would assume not as many.”

Mott shows us how to insulate exposed pipes.

“The cut off valve here at ground level, they’re usually on the side of your home or business.  This is usually in line with the water meter.  You might have bushes you have to crawl through it might be underground in a valve box.  If it’s in a valve box that’s good.  The dirt is a good insulation.  But anything exposed should really have some pipe insulation on it.  I do not suggest people wrapping towels or cloth due to the fact that it can get wet and freeze.  Here’s one of these covers, put it over there, pull the drawstring tight.  A bucket will also protect it.”