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Getting through these last six weeks of Winter

This past Monday, February 2 was Groundhog Day. Our furry little friend saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter for us. Now as we all know living in East Tennessee our weather changes almost every minute. Sunshine to snow/rain and back to sunshine; East Tennesee weather can be very unpredictable. Well at iSS we thought we would take a moment to gather some great tips to get us all through these last six weeks of Winter. Our first tip(s) to get us through are some that we have discussed before, but are great reminders to any homeowner.

With tempatures changing, you never know when we could get a record low. It is as important as ever to prevent your home from frozen pipes. When water freezes in pipes, it expands causing the pipe to burst. Then you have a major situation on your hands as the water thaws and flows freely into your home. So we have come up with 5 quick tips to help prevent frozen pipes.

  1. Check where your pipes are. You want to make sure they are not exposed to cold air and if they are, they need to be insulated. Pipe sleeves provide much needed insulation for pipes in drafty areas.
  2. Leave a steady stream of water dripping in a kitchen or bathroom sink. It does not have to be a ton of water, but just enough to keep things moving. The cost of leaving a sink dripping is far less than the mess of a flooded house.
  3. Leave cabinet doors open to allow warm inside air to circulate around pipes. Keep garage doors closed to ensure pipes are not exposed to freezing temperatures.
  4. Do not drastically adjust your thermostat throughout the day and night. By maintaining a steady temperature, you reduce your chances of a frozen pipe.
  5. Know where your water cut off valves are located. If you do not have one inside your home, then make sure you know where the water main is outside. If you have a leak, your No. 1 priority is shutting off the water.

Check back in for the next tips that will get us through these last weeks of Winter!

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