With colder weather on its way, now is the time to think about keeping your home’s pipes warm and avoiding the headaches of burst pipes.

Here are several tips that will help keep your pipes from freezing:

• Insulate your pipes, buy wrapping any exposed or outdoor pipes with insulation.
• Remember to wrap your hot water heater… use a manufacturer-approved blanket.
• Drain any outdoor hoses and shut off any outdoor faucets. Any water that collects in your outdoor faucets will freeze, expand, and cause damage.
• Consider installing an electric heat cable or tape kit to your outdoor pipes, which will keep your pipes from freezing even in very frigid temperatures.
• During a cold snap, keep your cabinets open to help circulate some heat to the pipes under the countertops.
• A steady drip, drip, drip can help prevent freezing when the temperatures really drop. Just a small flow of water can stave off disaster.
• Keep your thermostat above 55 degrees. Any lower and you’re making it much easier for your pipes to freeze.
• Know your shut-off valve location in the event your pipes do burst.
• Frozen pipes? If you don’t have electrically heated wires running along your pipes, a hair dryer can help in a pinch. Apply the heat evenly and slowly to try to melt the blockage. Don’t use anything stronger, or you run the risk of causing a fire.

When you need a helping hand with burst or frozen pipes anywhere in Allentown or the Lehigh Valley, call L & M Plumbing at 610-756-3069, so we can recommend repairs to get your pipes up and running again.