Cold Weather Alert - Avoid Frozen/Burst Water Lines

Do not get too comfortable with the comparatively warm daytime temperatures, mid to upper 40's, we will enjoy Sunday and Monday as they will not last long.

Monday evening our temperature is forecast to drop to 10 degrees [F].

Tuesday daytime will only get as high as 15 degrees [F].  

Tuesday night will drop to 9 degrees [F].

Winds chills during the above period will be below zero.

I would be remiss if I did not remind you that back on January 24, 2011, when JFK recorded a low temperature of 6 degrees Fahrenheit with accompanying wind gusts of 28 mph, there were more than a few residents of Broad Channel who found that their domestic water system lines had frozen and then had to spend hours dealing with the problem of thawing the frozen lines and the possible expensive repair scenario of a burst water line!

There are a few things you can do to prevent the problem of freezing pipes from occurring again during this coming cold snap.

Allow your faucets drip slightly as a trickle. (Note:  Make sure the entire family knows that you are dripping the faucet intentionally to avoid a family member from shutting it off entirely.)

Open sink base cabinets and let warmer room air circulate through the interior of the cabinet.

Open sink base cabinets and place a small portable heater near or in it to heat the pipes

Wrap the problem pipe with electrical heat tape.

Insulate the problem pipe(s) with foam insulation wrap, especially those that run through unheated spaces.

Temper any currently unheated crawlspace by placing a heater in the crawlspace. You only need to elevate the crawlspace temperature to modestly above freezing - about 40°F.