When the mercury dips and winter blows its freezing fury, your water pipes may be at risk for freezing. If water pipes freeze and rupture, the amount of water that can flood into your home could cause extreme damage. A common precautionary measure during subfreezing weather is to let water trickle from faucets to prevent freezing pipes in the cold. Because the water within the pipes is moving, it is resistant to becoming frozen. This simple prevention tactic takes less than a minute but could save you from untold expense and cleanup effort.
Instructions
1
Find the pipes at risk for freezing. The taps and faucets nearest exterior walls lead to the pipes that could freeze and rupture during extreme cold.
2
Turn both the hot and cold taps on so they produce the tiniest line of water trickling out of the tap before you go to bed at night.
3
Open the cupboard doors under the sink to expose the pipes to warmer household air overnight.
4
Turn the water off again in the morning as the outdoor ambient temperature rises. The threat of freezing pipes falls as the temperature goes up.
Tips & Warnings
If you have outdoor water sources, turn the water off at the source before freezing temperatures begin. Disconnect hoses and drain them of water. Turn the outside spigot on to empty the water lines of standing water after you turn the water source off.