Tips For Avoiding Frozen Pipes In Cold Weather
By Hadas Kuznits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Homeowners sometimes need to deal with frozen pipes during cold stretches like we're currently seeing throughout the Philadelphia area.
Laura Copeland, with the Philadelphia Water Department, says the customer, not the water department, is responsible for fixing frozen pipes that may prevent water from flowing in your home.
"One of the things that customers need to do is they want to keep the area where their pipes are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit," she says. "There's also the recommendation of using a hairdryer, not directly on the pipe, but to just get that area around the pipe above 40 degrees Fahrenheit."
She says once your pipes have been thawed, you can prevent a repeat of the problem by insulating your pipes and caulking nearby basement windows:
"In the extremely cold weather, you can let the water run in a trickle overnight so that there's water constantly flowing through the pipe so that you don't have a situation where it may freeze."
Copeland adds that frozen pipes are a very common problem in the winter.
