How To Prevent Freezing Pipes in Your Home Tonight

Tonight is going to be one of the coldest nights in a long time in East Texas. When it's that cold outside, significantly below freezing, you have to take precautions. There are lots of things you can do today, so you won't have to pay a plumber tomorrow. Even if you don't own your home, not having water until it is fixed is an inconvenience, and you most likely pay the water bill. Doing a combination of these things can really get results.

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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.
(List courtesy of American Red Cross)