Bellingham remains frozen. Here’s how to prevent problems with your home’s pipes
When water inside pipes freezes, it expands, which can lead to pipes bursting and causing expensive damages to homes and businesses. The city of Bellingham has provided these tips to help prevent pipes from freezing over the winter.
▪ Keep garage doors closed: Water supply lines in the garage can be protected from the cold with the doors closed.
▪ Keep cabinet doors open: Allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.
▪ Let cold water slowly drip: Running water through a pipe helps prevent it from freezing.
▪ Keep temperatures the same: Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature during the day and night.
▪ Set it to 55 degrees: When leaving home for a significant period, set the thermostat to no lower than 55 degrees.
▪ Insulate: Add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. Insulation will help maintain higher temperatures in those areas. Close off any foundation vents in order to keep wind and freezing temperatures from entering your crawl space.
If pipes do freeze:
▪ If your house or basement is flooding, if you can, turn off the water valve to the house. If you are unable to find your shut off, call Bellingham’s public works operations department at 360-778-7700 to have your water shut off at the meter.
▪ If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber.
▪ Do not touch or use electrical appliances in areas of standing water, because of the danger of electrocution.
▪ Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame, because it could pose a fire hazard. Every year, many structure fires are caused by people trying to thaw frozen pipes. All open flames in homes present a serious fire danger, as well as a severe risk of exposure to lethal carbon monoxide.
▪ You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe with the warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of the pipe.
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