When the temperature is below freezing (32°) or there are strong winds, there are steps you can take to help prevent your pipes from freezing.

If you have faucets on an outside wall, you should open the doors to the vanity or sink below the faucets and turn up your house heat a few degrees, if you keep it low.

Keep in mind that strong winds blowing on really cold days increase the chances of pipes freezing.  If your pipes have never froze before that doesn’t mean they won’t.  Houses get very fine hairline cracks in the foundation that will allow the extremely cold air to filter in and cause freezing.  It’s a good idea to check to make sure the area around your pipes is warm.

If you are unfortunate enough to have your pipes freeze, don’t leave them frozen and wait for temperatures to rise.  Frozen pipes can expand and crack, which will cause water damage when they thaw. Restoration of wet flooring and walls can be very costly. Getting heat to the area where the pipes are frozen will help them to thaw.  Or you can call a plumber to come out and thaw your pipes.  This can be a costly time-consuming project, so it’s better to prevent the freezing from happening in the first place.