Town Reminds On Frozen Pipes

Each year the Town of Jackson Public Works Department receives many calls concerning frozen water pipes.  Frozen water pipes can result in costly damages and disrupted lives. An eighth-inch crack in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons of water a day, wrecking floors, furniture and keepsakes.  Both plastic and copper pipes may burst. As the valley’s temperatures plummet, the town of Jackson recommends that homeowners maintain water flow by allowing cold water to run trickle, into the drain, open cabinet doors to allow more heat to surround the pipes near outer walls, leave heat in turned on in the rooms to at least 50 degrees at all times, check your crawl space and make sure your pipes are properly insulated and your venting in closed, and if you are going to be away for an extended period of time, have a neighbor make periodic checks to be sure the rooms are warm enough to prevent pipes from freezing. Also, Disconnect your garden hose from your hose bib, or spigot. This allows the pipe to drain so that it doesn’t freeze, split and leak just inside the wall. The actual valve that stops the flow of water on these is usually 12” or so inside the building.

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