Well, the new year is here, and so is the really cold weather. It appears we are in a cold snap 
where we are and will see temperatures that we haven’t experienced for over 25 years. There are a few things you can do to protect your home and furnishings during this period, that may last another 10 days.
The biggest risk from these freezing temperatures, to your home, is from water turning to ice inside your pipes and outdoor faucets. Make sure that you remove all of your hoses from any outside hose bibs. You can also cover them with insulating hose bib covers that you can purchase at any hardware store and even from some “super stores” such as a Walmart Supercenter.
Next, make sure that your water pipes, in your crawlspace or attic, are insulated. You can purchase these insulation sleeves that just fold over your pipes at the same places that you find the hose bib covers.
Also, you may want to leave each of your indoor faucets opened to allow for a drip. This will keep a slight movement of water inside of the pipes. Do this with both the hot and cold faucets. For a single spout, just align the control in the middle.
One last step you can take is to open all doors to your interior cabinets. This will allow the room temperature air to circulate around the water pipes and help prevent freezing.
Know where your water shutoff valves are. Sometimes, no matter what you do, those pipes will freeze and burst. Shutting off the water to those burst or leaking pipes will prevent further damage to your home. Keep the phone number of your plumber handy in case you do spring a leak in your pipes.
And, finally, if you are looking to buy or sell your home or other property, give me a call at 706-207-5290. For a copy of my 99 Tips For Home Sellers please click here to email me with your request. I will not share your email address with anyone. To search for homes and real estate in the Athens area and N.E. GA, please visit my website The Athens Real Estate Page.
