03/28/2024
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By Erin Smith

With the severe drop in temperatures comes the risk for frozen water lines which can break leading to costly repair bills. BladenOnline.com has learned there have been some incidents of frozen water lines and pumps in the county. Taking a few simple steps to prevent your pipes from freezing can stop broken water lines from occurring.

According to the American Red Cross, the pipes which are most likely to freeze are those located on the exterior walls of a building, water lines that are in unheated areas such as basements and crawl spaces, and pipes that are directly exposed to the cold.

David Beyer, manager of The Big Blue Store in Elizabethtown, said there are some steps you can take to protect your water lines from freezing. “The biggest thing to remember is insulating everything,” said Beyer.

One step you can take is to wrap plastic and insulation around exposed pipes. Beyer said if you get rain, the plastic prevents it from getting to the pipe. He said, if you don’t have insulation available, you can use a blanket.

Beyer also said don’t leave your outside hoses hooked up to faucets. Remove your hoses, drain them and store them. Beyer said when you leave hoses hooked up, water backs up and then it can build up pressure and the water can freeze causing the the pipe to pull apart.

You can also try using a product called heat tape on your pipes. “The heat tape turns on at 37 degrees and will stay on until the temperature reaches 50 degrees, then it will turn itself off,” said Beyer.

Beyer said don’t forget your pumps, as well.

“Pumps will freeze very easily,” said Beyer.

He said you can install a light in the well house and use a thermostatic plug. The thermostatic plug will allow the light to turn on at 37 degrees and will turn the light off when it reaches 50 degrees.

Don’t forget your outside faucets. Outside faucets can also freeze very easily. They can be covered with faucet covers to help prevent freezing.

You can also turn on faucets and let them drip. Beyer said running water will not freeze so it helps to keep the pipes from freezing.

“The biggest thing to remember is insulating everything,” said Beyer.

Temperatures are forecast to remain in 30s during the day and drop into the teens overnight throughout the remainder of the week.

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