Safeguard Your Home in Freezing Temps

When temperatures regularly drop below freezing, we usually see heavy service demand in the areas we serve. To keep your home warm and comfortable, take look at some tips to keep your home's plumbing and heating systems working when you need them most.

Posted On: January 3, 2024

Plumbing Tips

Leave the Water Dripping

As water freezes it expands which leads to burst pipes and expensive water damage. The best protection is to ensure all lines are insulated. As a reliable fail-safe when temperatures drop below freezing, we recommend leaving one faucet on so that a drip leaves the faucet every second or so. This simple step keeps water moving and will prevent freezing from occurring.

Get an Outdoor Faucet Cover

Ensure outdoor hoses are disconnected and install insulated hose faucet covers over your faucets which you can acquire at your local hardware store.

Mechanical System Tips

Condensate lines for furnaces, water heaters and heat pumps

One of the most common heating system failures during freezing temperatures is when a condensate line freezes and doesn’t allow water to leave the system. You can tell if your system is high efficiency if the venting material is PVC. If your furnace vents in metal then it does not condensate. During freezing temperatures, periodically check the condensate line to ensure it is draining properly and not freezing.

If you notice that it is frozen, take a bowl of hot water and pour it over the exterior termination of condensate line. Another strategy is to use a hair dryer to warm the line. Use caution with an electric appliance around water. Heat until all ice is gone and keep an eye on it until temperatures warm up.

Check Your Furnace Filters

Your system will be working hard over the next few days. Restricted airflow from dirty filters is a common failure in both freezing and non-freezing weather. If your furnace filter is dirty, change the filter immediately.

To make changing your filter easier, join our Automatic Filter Program to get your system’s filter sent straight to your door every 3 months.