- Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses. This will protect the hoses
and the connected faucets. It's also a good idea to cover the faucet
with some type of insulation.
- Insulate exposed pipes or faucets in unheated areas. Most hardware
stores carry a variety of pipe insulation.
- If you cannot get to your pipes to insulate them, let water slowly
drip from a faucet in extremely cold weather.
- Locate and identify the master shutoff. If you have a burst pipe,
you won't have time to search for the shutoff.
If you and
your family know where it is, you may save a lot of
damage in the long run.
- If your pipes do freeze, first turn off the master shutoff.
The best way to thaw pipes yourself is to wave a hair dryer
at a low setting back and forth along the pipes. Another way,
though a bit messier, is to pour hot water over rags wrapped
around the frozen pipes.
NEVER crawl through wet areas with electrical equipment.
NEVER thaw pipes with a blowtorch.
- Practice Frost Awareness. Frost occurs during a cold, clear night.
Cover citrus, succulents and potted plants with old sheets to help
retain their heat till morning.
- Turn off all irrigation water and operate your clock manually.
- Use the garden hose, if possible, to water potted plants
and plants underneath the eaves.
- Mulch exposed soil and landscape areas to control weeds and
to help retain heat dung a cold,and clear night.
- Longer dryout periods encourages plants to grow deeper roots
as they search for water.
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