Ongoing precautions to prevent busted pipes in wake of North Texas winter storm
FORT WORTH — Below-freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on your home's plumbing, and technicians are already receiving calls about busted pipes in North Texas.
With temperatures above freezing and what's left of the snow starting to melt, you probably don't need to drip your faucets during the day. However, you must take those precautions at least one more night as temperatures dip below 32 degrees this evening.
"You definitely want a steady stream about the size of a pencil or a pen, if you will," said Jesse Crane, a service manager at Milestone Plumbing. "Take your pen out and just figure out about how much you need."
If your bathroom or kitchen sink is on an outside wall, Crane recommends leaving water trickling and opening the cabinet doors so warm air can circulate underneath.
"When we go into the evening hours, we get below 32 degrees and it's going to stay there for, you know, 12, 14 hours, generally, we want to drip that those times," he said.
If not, your pipes could freeze and eventually burst, like what happened all over North Texas after the deep freeze in February 2021.
"So not nearly as many as those, but we've run probably six or seven burst pipe calls," said Crane. "A lot of the calls that we're getting right now have to do with exterior faucets."
You can reach their technicians at callmilestone.com.
If you suspect one of your pipes is already frozen, don't panic.
"If you just have no water to it, like the kitchen faucet, say I wouldn't freak out just yet," Crane said. "There's still a chance that it may thaw out and may not cause any kind of damage."
As you wait to see if that frozen pipe may burst, clear the area around it so there are fewer items water could damage. Make sure you know where your water shut-off valve is, so you can quickly turn off the water to your home in case of an emergency. It's usually close to the street, under a cover, and you'll need a meter key to turn the valve. You can buy one at most big box stores.
