CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — As temperatures drop around Maryland, homeowners have another worry to add to their plate: pipe bursts.
When temperatures drop below freezing, water inside your pipes freezes, causing the pipe to expand and putting pressure on the pipe’s walls. The pressure can cause a pipe burst. Pipe corrosion, clogs, and water pressure can all contribute to pipe bursts.
Pipe bursts can affect more than 200,000 homes a year and are costly to repair — in addition to repairing the pipe itself, homeowners also have to deal with insurance claims regarding flooding or other damage to the house.
With this in mind, the town of Chesapeake Beach was one of several areas of Maryland that took proactive steps to help homeowners prevent these costly disasters.
“A little goes a long way,” the town wrote in their post. Here are their tips for preventing frozen and burst pipes:
- Keep your home warm: Keep your thermostat above 50 degrees even when you’re not home.
- Insulate exposed pipes: This is especially important in basements, crawl spaces, and attics that might be colder than the rest of the house.
- Seal drafts: Fix broken windows and close any gaps in doors that could let cold air in.
- Keep cabinet doors open: Especially important for kitchen cabinets, since it helps warm air circulate.
- Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses: Shut off exterior water lines when possible.
- Going out of town? Shut off your main water valve and drain pipes.
- No open flames: Never use an open flame to thaw frozen pipes.
- Main water shutoff: Locate where your main water shut-off valve is and know how to turn it off in an emergency.
The town also has more detailed information about what causes frozen pipes on their website, and specifics for vacant buildings and other structures.
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