When water freezes, it expands and sometimes leaves behind broken pipes and costly bills regarding the lost water.
- Open kitchen cabinets and bathroom sinks to allow warm air to reach the pipes. This can help prevent pipes from freezing over and causing damage that leads to costly repairs.
- Disconnect drain hoses from outdoor spigots. Home improvement stores usually offer protective coverings for outdoor pipes.
- If you have an irrigation system, make sure your lines are cleared of water. Most irrigation specialists offer a blowout service to clear the line of standing water to ensure the prevention of costly damage.
Irrigation shut off valves and backflow devices often cause the most common issues during a hard freeze. Residents can:
- Turn off the shut-off valve. Most residential devices have two shut-off valves. These are typically covered in blue on the valve handles and located before and after the back flow device.
- Release the water pressure, with a screwdriver release the water from the bleeder valves (circled in black on the image). The bleeder valves are usually located under the top of the backflow device. If the water does not stop flowing, you may not have shut the valves off completely.
- Leave the smaller bleeder valve open, this will let the any remaining water in the line expand without breaking the device.
