NORFOLK, Va. —
Our low temperatures over the next few days are expected to fall below freezing. Those cold temps may be a nice change of pace for some, but for parts of your home, not so much.
Branden Gamble is a plumbing manager at Bud’s Plumbing, and he said thawing is when the trouble starts. If not properly insulated, the cold temperatures could cause the water in your pipes to freeze. He said a few simple reminders can save you money and stress.
“When it starts thawing is when the pipe starts bursting," Gamble said. "Water starts spraying everywhere. It can cause damages to your flooring, your hardwood flooring. So let's keep our faucets dripping, keep our cabinet doors open, let's disconnect all the garden hoses outside and close the crawl space vents. That's what we can do."
Most importantly, Gamble said, you should know where your whole house shut-off valve is.
Most houses in the Hampton Roads area aren’t equipped to stand the chill. Gamble said he is expecting plenty of calls for repair coming up. Along with the repair, his team will even come before the pipes burst to do preventative maintenance.
Gamble said if you plan to leave for a long vacation, turn off your whole house valve, but don’t deplete the water inside, and to remember the cost of the drip is less expensive than a burst.
“Hire a professional plumber and we'll make sure all the bins and everything are insulated,” Gamble said.