During the cold winter months, there is a good chance that unprotected water pipes will freeze. If this happens, you may only have the annoyance of having no water. However, your interrupted water service could turn into a disaster when the pipes thaw. Water pipes may have ruptured, and as the pipes thaw, ice turns back into water and that water can cause property damage and will require plumbing repairs.

Here are things you and Bob Larson Plumbing can do to reduce the chances of your water lines freezing:

• Turn off the outside water valve.
• Disconnect water hoses and drain water from pipes with an open faucet to make sure no water is flowing.
• Ensure that your water heater is working properly.
• For vacant houses and such, allow a trickle of hot and cold water to drip. The cost of dripping water is small compared to the damage from frozen pipes.
• Make sure that your running water doesn’t go to a drain that is exposed to extreme cold. That could cause another freezing problem.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors under sinks to allow ambient heat to circulate around uninsulated pipes.
• Heat unused rooms that have plumbing. Sometimes a simple, incandescent light bulb burning can already generate enough heat to save you thousands of dollars in repairs.
• Insulate pipes in areas where there is no heat such as the garage, storm porch, or crawl space.
• Caulk any air leaks around doors and windows to reduce cold air penetration. Spray cans of foam can also be used for larger air leaks around dryer vents and cable line connections.