Prevent your pipes from freezing INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It’s a problem that plumbers say they see every winter, especially when temperatures stay below freezing: frozen pipes bursting and causing costly damage. Experts say to close valves, open cabinet doors, and turn on the heat to keep w ater flow consistent, even if you aren’t home. Chris Baker, a service technician with Hope Plumbing, Heating Cooling, says the biggest issue is insolation. “Sometimes it could be grout missing in the brick siding of the house; other times it could be a crawl space cover that, like the door that was left open, or a crawl space vent that was not covered with insolation. Usually that doesn’t cause a huge issue whenever we start getting into just barely below-freezing conditions, but whenever we get into really bad conditions like this, and the wind is taken into consideration, it’ll freeze an area up real quick.” WISH-TV Storm Track 8’s seven-day forecast on Thursday staying below 32 degrees, the freezing mark, through Thursday in Indianapolis. Below-freezing temperatures could continue through Feb. 12 and beyond, according to The Weather Channel. Frozen pipes don’t just cut off water, they can burst and flood homes within minutes. Pipes most at risk are along exterior walls; in basements, crawl spaces and garages; and under sinks. One Indianapolis homeowner called a plumber after a concern about frozen pipes underneath the new addition of her home. Linda McKiernan-Allen said, “I came into the bathroom and tried to turn the sink on and there was no water, so then I tried to turn the shower on, and there was no water. Then, I tried to flush the toilet and there was no water, so then we called Hope.” Signs of a frozen pipe go beyond the water not turning on. Strange noises, visible damage on pipes, water stains, and bad odors can indicate issues. Baker said, “If you have a house that has a bathroom group on the exterior, and you notice, ‘Hey, all of a sudden my toilet is not filling, or my sink is lowering in pressure, I’ve lost my pressure in one sink,’ it’s a good time to take a look at the rest of your house, to make sure that there’s nothing that needs to be sealed up.” Baker says calls for frozen pipes has kept him busy all week. As he sees it, the best way to prevent frozen pipes is taking the proper steps before it gets too cold outside. “We see a lot of garages that are not property conditioned, so getting that initial space heater set up that way whenever the cold weather gets there, you’re prepared for it, is great. Past that, whenever the winter comes, just make sure you leave a faucet that’s cracked and has a little bit of a drip to it.” Tempted to save money, some people try to unfreeze on their own. Baker says it’s best to let a professional handle it. “The most common thing we see is we’ll have cabinets open whenever there’s a freeze underneath the house, and there will be a small heater sat in front of it. It’s a good thought to try to attack it that way, but it’s just not enough to get the job done.” ...read more read less