Winterizing Home Early Could Prevent Costly Repairs Later

With frigid temperatures on the way, plumbers say now is the time to winterize your pipes to prevent them from freezing.

It's a seasonal task that can easily slip your mind, but, if you don't close-up your crawl spaces and insulate your pipes you could end up paying a lot to have them replaced.

As Green County gets closer to winter, crews are out making sure your commute is safe.

At home, there is also a concern with temperatures forecasted to be at their lowest in the last two years; and because of that, Mike Headrick at Allied Plumbing in Tulsa expects to be busy.

"We're anticipating getting some freeze up, busted pipes from this weekend," he said. “And I think a lot of people are not going to see this coming."

His main worries are to make sure your crawlspace vents are closed as air movement can be costly.

"Air is what drives this,” he said. “If we get really cold temperatures, and a lot of wind, there is going to be a lot of problems."

He also said to make sure you haven't forgotten to put away your hose, because, if you don’t it could cause major issues.

"You run the risk of the water that's inside this faucet freezing back inside the wall," Headrick explained.

He said this will be your last chance this year to avoid a potential problem.

Headrick said, "If you don't do it this weekend, and you got it on there, odds are you're going to have a problem in the spring."

With a repair cost near $200, he said it’s not cheap, and many times they have to cut the wall out.

The pipes most at risk run along the perimeter of your home. On the coldest nights, consider letting one of your faucets run.

"A lot of people say 'let them drip,' don't let them drip. Get a stream," Headrick said. “Let it run through the night because that's when things are going to freeze and bust."

Headrick said you can also buy foam from any big-box store, which is made to easily wrap around your pipes, keeping them insulated.