How to Protect Your Home – When the Temps Go Below Zero

This coming Thursday night into Friday morning - the overnight low is expected to dip below zero.

It should get even colder Friday night into Saturday morning.

The National Weather forecast for Saturday - says more snow is on its way.

Now is a good time to look back at some of our cold-weather tips to protect your home from the cold snap.

A couple of great home winterizing tips we picked up on were:

• Placing caulk around the window seals, and 
• Cleaning out the gutters and any down-spouts from your roof/gutters (so they can drain properly and won’t cause issues with ice build-up or water overflow during a storm.)

It's also great to know when to begin dripping your indoor faucets.

I’ve always known to let the pipes have a small drip when the temps get nasty cold - but I didn’t know the important step of letting the warm water and cold water drip simultaneously. 

Do this to keep your pipes warm

You can’t see most of the pipes in your home.

The warmth of your home’s heat also might have a hard time getting to your pipes. The pipes under your sink in the kitchen and bathroom tend to get cold.

When the temps get extremely cold - open the cabinet doors every so often - to allow the warmth of your home to reach your pipes.

What should you do if you think your pipes have frozen?

* Find your water master shut off (don’t know where it is? Find out - this is very important) and turn off your home's water supply.

* Check for any plumbing fixtures on exterior walls in your home - it's where pipes will usually freeze.

* Do you know where the pipes are frozen? Use a hair dryer (connect it to an extension cord if necessary) and warm the area where your pipes are frozen.

* Turn the water back on - then look (and listen) for any leaks in the pipes.

* Go around your home - and make sure your water supply is flowing again.

INFO: Good Housekeeping, chubb.com