Once the cold air comes, you’re more likely to have plumbing problems if you’re not regularly inspecting your pipes and staying on top of maintenance. Some common Winter plumbing problems are clogged/frozen drains, water heaters go out, burst pipes, etc. The list is endless, which is why it’s a great idea to stay on top of your plumbing with regular maintenance and taking precautionary measures.

• If you plan on being gone for long hours of the day or for a couple of days, do not set your thermometer lower than 55 degrees. Going lower than 55 degrees you are risking your pipes, they can potentially freeze.

• If you have any pipes that are showing, whether it’s showing inside or outside of your house, you should insulate it. This goes for your home, attic, garage or any other areas you have that won’t be heated. A cheap DIY for this is to take a pool noodle and slice it in half and wrap it around the pipes. Cost efficient and will end up helping your pipes.

• If the temperature ever goes below freezing, make sure you create a drip from the faucets in your house. You will want to do this for all faucets, not just one. Better safe than sorry. Even if the water were to freeze, having the drip keeps water flowing and will prevent a burst pipe.

• Open up your cabinets or crack them to let warmth flow in to help provide warm air to the pipes under the sink.

• Seal any type of cracks near windows and doors to prevent cold air from coming in. Preventing it from coming in will prevent it reaching the pipes located inside of your house.

Guest Contributor: Tiffany Powell