SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane is seeing sub-zero temperatures, which means a threat of frozen pipes.
If your pipes freeze, you'll notice the water pressure in your sink or shower drop dramatically. In some cases, you won't have any running water at all, and it can cause major damage to your home if a pipe bursts.
To prevent that, here is how you can prevent home pipes from freezing in cold weather:
- To make sure your pipes don't burst, set your sink faucet to a constant drip.
- Insulate the pipes outside your home, even if it means just wrapping a towel around them tonight.
- Open up your cabinet doors in the kitchen and bathroom to let the warm air in.
- Ensure water pipes in unheated parts of your home, including crawl spaces, are insulated.
- if you have plans to leave town, do not turn off the heat, and keep the thermostat above 55 degrees.
- Plumbers say keeping your house warm is the best way to prevent frozen pipes.
- If you're around, just make sure that your garage is staying shut and you're getting your garden hoses taken off the hose bibs on the exterior of the home.
If your water pipes are frozen, here is what you need to know:
- Never thaw a frozen pipe with an open flame as it may start a fire.
- You should use hot air from a hair dryer, the exhaust from a vacuum cleaner, heat lamps, heat tape, or electric heaters to thaw a frozen pipe.
- Consider using an incandescent lightbulb to thaw pipes slowly by placing it next to frozen pipes.
- Keep the bulb away from combustible material to avoid starting a fire.
WATCH RELATED: Temperatures dive below zero in Spokane and the Inland Northwest
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