© Tania Savayan/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, NY) – As the temperatures dip into bitter and dangerous lows, city officials are giving homeowners tips on how to avoid issues with frozen pipes. Pipes that freeze typically are areas that are exposed to the extremely cold weather, and the city is seeing sub-zero temperatures so here’s what to do to avoid any popes freezing over.
First, turn off any outside sources of water and remove any hoses. Insulate any outside walls, meters and get rid of any drafts in crawlspaces. Secure tightly any doors, windows and repair any cracks in windows, doors and walls. If you are traveling out of town, officials suggest that someone should periodically turn on your faucets.
In the case that your pipes do end up freezing, open the faucet closest to the frozen area and apply heat to the frozen section. You can apply heat with either a heat lamp or hair dryer. You should NEVER attempt to thaw a pipe with an open flame since that could cause a steam explosion.
