NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — With cold weather creeping in, if you’re not careful, you’re home pipes may freeze.
10 On Your Side spoke with Norfolk Plumbing for some tips to prevent your pipes from freezing in your home.
“When the water freezes inside the pipe, it begins to expand, and depending on your house piping, it can cause the pipe to explode,” said Sean Smith with Norfolk Plumbing. “And you won’t know until the next morning when it falls out, and then you’ve got a massive water leak.”
Experts say frozen pipes are common this time of year.
“It’s when we get a cold burst, which around here doesn’t happen very often,” said Mark White of Norfolk Plumbing. “But we’ll get these low temperatures for a few days in a row. That’s when we normally see most of the issues occur.”
Before it’s too late and you have to call your plumber, look for the signs.
“Usually if it’s in an attic, you’ll see it coming through the ceiling,” White said. “Sometimes you can hear it in the crawl space, which unfortunately is a little too late by the time that’s happening.”
To prevent this from happening, keep an extra eye out on the pipes in your home.
“There’s a couple of small tricks you can do to help prevent any water pipe from freezing,” Smith said. “Of course, making sure any piping that is exposed is wrapped and insulated properly, [and] disconnecting any garden hoses, as that will prevent the hose bit from freezing.”
White suggested taking these steps on the inside of your home to help prevent pipes from freezing.
“You can open your cabinet doors to let the warm air in the home circulate close to the water piping,” White said. “You can also let the faucets drip. A trickle is all that’s needed just to keep some movement in the water. Other than that, checking regularly throughout the house to make sure everything’s flowing.”
This impacts different homes and apartments differently. Norfolk Plumbing said it will be beneficial to check that your home is up to code.