Pipe Problem Prevention

from Locust Lake Villager Winter 2020

Octoberfest

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Imagine coming up to your house, only to find it sopping wet because your pipes froze and then burst, sending gallons of water into your house. How can you prevent that from happening?

First, if you will be away for several days this winter, keep your thermostat set between 50-55 F. That way the pipes will not freeze.

Second, disconnect your hoses from the faucet, otherwise ice can back up into the pipe inside your house, causing the pipe to crack. You can buy insulated covers to slow the heat loss from a pipe as it travels through the wall out into the cold and they are cheap.

Lastly, A Wi-Fi thermostat lets you control and monitor your home’s temperature using your smartphone. If the temperature in your house drops, you’ll get an email or text alert. Other types of alert systems are also available. Some send alerts to your cell phone via a phone jack in your house. Others send an alert to a landline or cell phone. Wi-Fi thermostats are available at home centers for $100 to $500.

One homeowner came home from vacation and mice had eaten their way through the tube that supplies water to their ice maker and their floors were ruined, so if you’re leaving town for a few days or more, turn the water off at the main shutoff and shut off your automatic icemaker so it doesn’t continually try to make ice, which will burn out the motor.