jacksonville, florida – With temperatures expected to dip below freezing at times over the next few days, there are ways to prevent pipes from bursting inside your home.
One recommendation is to stabilize the flow of water from the faucet. Not overwatering, not dripping.
The water that comes out should be hot.
Jason Carriero, manager of Snyder Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electric, has 15 years of experience as a plumber.
“Think about putting an ice cube tray in the freezer,” he said. “It doesn’t move. It’s frozen. If the water is in constant motion, it’s less likely to freeze.”
There is a big difference between drip and stream. Water must always travel through pipes.
“In the creek, you cycle through cold and heat,” said Carriero. “You want the water to move. You don’t want it to drip. You want it to circulate.”
Another suggestion is to run the water at the appliance furthest from the outdoor water meter. This will allow water to circulate throughout the house.
This fixture could be a kitchen or bathroom sink or even a tub. It just depends on the house.
Once the freeze warnings and advisories have been lifted, Carriero says the water can be turned off.
Open the cabinet under the sink just enough for the heat in the house to reach the pipes. This keeps the pipe at or above room temperature.
Be prepared for sub-zero temperatures
Employees at the Proctor Ace Hardware store on University Blvd say more people are buying products to stay warm.
“So many people came here and bought everything,” said employee Valary Watson.
Blankets, plant covers and insulation for water pipes are all sold out. Many had to get creative. Our attention then shifted to swimming pool noodles.
“We actually started selling pool noodles to get people to start covering their pipes,” Watson said.
“You can also use blankets, towels, and old sheets just to cover the pipes where the tubes are,” says customer David Shank.
Outdoor fire pits were also in high demand. Chris Talbert said he and his wife don’t have a large house to entertain guests, but they expect family and friends to visit this holiday weekend. I bought a pit.
“We bought a fire pit so everyone could hang out and stay warm,” Talbert said.
Store employees say portable space heaters are selling like crazy and, fortunately, some are still available. In addition to space heaters, there was also high demand for fireplace items that were rarely left on the shelves.
There was also firewood.
National Weather Service meteorologist Danny Dubois has just moved to Jacksonville from New Hampshire. He arrived at Ace shortly after a new load of firewood had been unloaded.
“It’s a pretty cold time of year, even for Florida. We have a fireplace in our new house, so I said, ‘Hey, why don’t you use it,'” said DuBois.
Many people come to the store to buy cold weather goods, and some employees say that it is difficult to take a break.
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