OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — With extreme cold on the way in the coming days, now's the time to think about making sure the pipes in your home don't freeze.
3 News Now Reporter Ron Johnson talked to a local plumber who share some important info that you can use to avoid a disaster.
Chris Griffith has been a plumber for over 20 years and has seen his fair share of service calls from busted pipes.
“I've seen it anywhere from 5 ft in the basement worth of water to 6 ft ice icicles coming down from people's garage doors,” said Griffith.
First, he recommends you know where your main water shutoff valve is.
“You might want to locate that sometime soon just in case you have an emergency or something like that you guys know exactly where to go mine's located down here in the utility room,” said Griffith.
Second, let a little water out of the faucet. And third, open up the cabinets that might be underneath.
“You can kind of open up these cabinets and maybe even set a fan or a space heater in this area to where you can blow heat into this area,” Griffith said.
He also says sudden low water pressure is a calling card for a frozen pipe, when you see that he says you need to act fast. If you're leaving your home for a while, he says to have a neighbor or someone you trust to watch it.
Simple tips that could save you a major headache.
“Like I tell people water can save your life or it can ruin your life,” said Griffith.
Griffith also suggests checking the batteries in your thermostat. He says many newer ones run off them and if they go bad they can shut off your heat. He expects to answer about 10 calls each day the temperature is below 10 degrees.
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