TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – As temperatures are expected to plunge overnight, a local plumber shared advice on how residents can protect their pipes from freezing and bursting.
Tim Colvin, a plumbing supervisor with Keith Lawson Services, said pipes can freeze and burst after just five to six hours of cold weather. Repairs can cost $300 or more, depending on the extent of the damage.
Colvin said crews often see an increase in service calls after pipes begin to thaw, since there is little that can be done once they are frozen. That makes preparation especially important, he said.
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“If you have a backflow preventer out in the front yard and it’s not covered, at least go out and throw an old blanket over it to protect it from the weather,” Colvin said. “Any hose bibbs outside the house, if you don’t have covers or rags to wrap around them, leave them dripping, just a steady drip to keep the water moving.”
Colvin also recommended leaving water dripping inside the home for residents who live in mobile homes, which can be more vulnerable to frozen pipes during extended periods of cold weather.
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