If you have lived in areas where the winter weather is extremely harsh you may feel like now that you live here in Las Vegas you do not need to worry about your pipes freezing because the weather is so mild. This is actually a common misconception. The truth is that many times the pipes in warmer climates are not properly insulated against freezing temperatures. The lack of insulation could cause your pipes to burst if the temperatures get low enough. What does freezing pipes have to do with Air Supply Heating and Air Conditioning? Frozen hot water heat lines will prevent heat from reaching parts of your home. Not having heat getting to all areas of your house on a day that the temperatures are extremely low is not something anyone wants to have. So we want to give you some tips on how to prevent your pipes from freezing this winter.

Don’t Turn Central Heat Off

During the winter many people will travel for extended periods of time. When they leave it is tempting to turn your heater off and save yourself the money on your utility bills. Keeping your heat on can help prevent your pipes from freezing. You do not have to keep the heat set as high as you would if you were home, but keeping it set above 50 F is beneficial. Here in Las Vegas keeping your heater turned onto 50 will not cost you that much on your utility bills.

Drip Cold Water to Keep Pipes from Freezing

Many times there will be a warning in the weather forecast that the temperatures will reach freezing or go below freezing. If you know that the temperatures are going to drop below freezing you can let a faucet drip to help prevent your pipes from freezing. This allows pressure in the plumbing system to be relieved. When a pipe is frozen, it is not the fact that it is frozen that causes the pipes to burst. The pressure that is created between the blockage and the faucet actually causes the pipe to burst. When you let the faucet drip you are preventing this pressure from building up and causing the pipe to burst. If your faucet has both a hot and cold water pipe, like in your bathroom, you will want to turn both hot and cold water on to let it drip. If your faucet has a single handle, like in the kitchen, you will want to turn it to warm.

Open Kitchen & Bathroom Cabinet Interior Doors

The pipes inside your home are located in cabinets underneath your sinks most of the time. In an effort to keep those pipes as warm as you can we recommend opening your cabinet doors where pipes are located. Then leave the interior door of the rooms that have your pipes in them open as well. This will help the heat from the rest of the house help keep the pipes warm.

Pipe & Other Insulation to Prevent Freezing

Properly insulating your walls and pipes will also help prevent your pipes from bursting. You can insulate the walls where piping runs. Sometimes this is not an option that can be done easily but if you are building a new home or already have your walls exposed for repairs you may want to put some extra insulation in your walls. You can also purchase insulation kits for your outdoor pipes. Wrapping the pipes outside of your home is one of the most effective things that you can do to prevent your pipes from freezing.

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We hope that these tips will help prevent the pipes in your home from freezing. Knowing that burst pipes can cause extensive damage to your home as well as make your heater not function properly seem like good reasons to follow the simply steps outlines above. If you do end up with problems with your heating system due to bursting pipes or any other reason give Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning a call today.