Any Virginia resident can tell you that it gets cold here in the winter, so it's vital that you take steps to prevent pipe bursts. How do you protect your home? Start by incorporating some of our favorite tips:
Exposed pipes in your home are in danger of becoming frozen when the temperature drops. Adding insulation is an effective way to stop pipe bursts. Do it yourself or call on the assistance of a professional.
Older homes suffer from the fact that they're often built over crawl spaces that haven't been insulated. Although it'll cut into your energy savings a little, turning up the thermostat will warm up your floor and crawl space.
If you want to prevent pipe bursts, you need to keep the water flowing. When the temperature severely drops in your Virginia home, turning on a single faucet will help.
Heating cables use an electrical current to keep pipes warm by either being laid beside them or wrapped around them. Some will come ready-to-use, while others will require a simple preparation.
Standing water in your pipes increases the likelihood of freezing and bursting. We suggest that you drain your pipes of any excess water whenever possible.
While it's not a perfect solution, the use of a space heater can definitely work in a pinch. There's no reason to turn up the space heater to its maximum setting. You just need enough heat to warm up the pipe, not the entire space.
Since they're exposed to the elements, outdoor spigots can be especially vulnerable to freezing. Turn off the water to fix this problem. For more expert advice on how to prevent costly pipe bursts, or if you'd like to learn more about any other home comfort issues, be sure to contact the knowledgeable professionals at Russell's Heating & Cooling. We've been serving the HVAC needs of the Hampton Roads area of Southeast Virginia since 1977. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Chesapeake, Virginia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about pipe bursts and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 757-750-1831. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “mikebird/Pixabay”