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Protect Your Pipes From Freezing

Did you know it only takes an eight-inch (three millimeter) crack in a pipe to spew up to 250 gallons of water each day?That’s a lot of water, a lot of damage and an unnecessary disruption in your life that we want to help you avoid.

shutterstock_70070464With temperatures dropping and snow showers approaching, now is a good time to prepare your pipes for the winter. According to Oakland County Michigan, an average of a quarter-million families have their homes damaged each winter as a result of frozen pipes. We don’t want this to happen to you. That is why we’ve summarized some important winterizing best practices to prevent your floors, furniture or personal property from getting ruined:

Insulate Your Pipes—Check for pipes that are exposed to the elements and more vulnerable to freezing temperatures, including those running through uninsulated or unheated areas in your crawlspace or attic. Make sure to properly insulate them.

Disconnect Outdoor Accessories—Be sure to detach garden hoses and, if possible, shut off and drain water from pipes that lead to outside faucets.

Turn on Faucets—If you have a faucet on an outside wall, keep warm water flowing, even if it’s a trickle, to keep your pipes from freezing.

Open Cabinet Doors—If you have uninsulated pipes near exterior walls that are under kitchen or bathroom sinks and inside cabinets, you’ll want to open the cabinet doors to allow the air in the room to circulate and prevent plumbing lines from freezing.

Set Your Thermostat—Keep your thermostat a little higher if the outside temperature drops below freezing. If you’re planning to be away, make sure to set your thermostat so that it doesn’t go lower than 55 degrees F.

Take these precautions today, before temperatures drop. And visit www.realestate.com for more information on preventing and thawing frozen water pipes.

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