News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The recent cold weather should serve as a reminder to winterize your home.
Shane Buck is the owner of Cookeville’s Buck’s Plumbing and Sewer Service. He said following a few simple tips can save money and prevent major damage to homes.
“One of the main things that people don’t think about, especially since we’ve had warmer weather here recently, is making sure you’ve got your garden hoses taken off your outside faucets,” Buck said. “That prevents your outside faucets from draining out. Also, when the weather gets cold, it will freeze and burst them. You won’t know that until you get ready to use it again. When that happens it can leak into your walls and flood the house. That’s one of the main things that people need to do.”
Foundation vents should also be kept closed during the winter. Buck said pipes can easily freeze if cold air enters a home through an open foundation vent.
“It could get expensive, especially if you get water damage due to your water lines being frozen,” Buck said. “I have had some people try to unfreeze the lines themselves. What they don’t understand is that the waterlines swell when they do freeze. When it thaws out, that’s when you see that you really have a major problem. Whether it’s inside the house or up underneath, the damages could be sufficient.”
Residents might also consider placing covers around freeze-prone faucets and insulating exposed pipes. Buck said it’s also a good idea to leave a small trickle of hot and cold water running to help keep pipes from freezing.
Buck said he responded to three or four dozen frozen pipe calls last winter. He said most of those calls occur when the cold weather lingers for several days in a row.
