Plumber Offers Tips To Avoid Costly Winter Damage

With frigid temperatures arriving this weekend, plumbers say there's still time to winterize your home to prevent pipes from freezing.

Mike Headrick, a plumber at Allied Plumbing, said he is expecting busted pipes in our area this weekend because of the cold weather, which are expected to be the coldest we've seen in two years. 

Headrick suggests making sure crawlspace vents are closed because air movement can be costly.

He said this is also the time to put away the garden hoses, adding that if homeowners don't do that now, they can expect problems next spring if the water left inside freezes back inside the wall. 

He said some repairs can cost hundreds of dollars.

"It's not a cheap deal and a lot of time we have to cut the wall out inside to do it," Headrick said. 

Some pipes in a home are more at risk than others during winter months. 

"If you've got a crawlspace house, it's going to be the ones in the crawlspace," Headrick said. "Normally, the ones that are running close to the perimeter."   

On really cold nights, homeowners should let one of the faucets run - not just drip, he said.