ORLEANS – With the arrival of the season’s first arctic air blast expected within just a few days, the Orleans Town Water Department offers these tips to help alleviate problems for customers and the utility.
How to prevent frozen pipes:
Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children.
When the weather is freezing outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing.
Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature during the day and at night. You may incur a higher heating bill by temporarily suspending lower nighttime temperatures, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home and set it to a temperature no lower than 55 degrees.
