With frigid, below-zero temperatures on the way for Montanans, here are some tips to keep our homes protected.
Before the freeze, you can unhook your hoses from your spigots outside because with the hose hooked up to them, it won't allow all the water to come out of it and it can freeze and burst,” said Tyson Wilhelms, a plumber with Pipe Down Plumbing.
Allen Ocheltree, owner of Handyman Pros, said oftentimes these issues occur when people simply aren’t informed on how to avoid them.
“Sealing all the doors and windows, making sure you have clean fair filters in your furnace, have someone service your furnace,” said Ocheltree. “Open your cupboard doors, you can let your water run at a trickle so it won't freeze, make sure all your garden hoses are disconnected from your outside spigots and that they have covers for your outside spigots.”
Sometimes people take all the necessary precautions, but still experience pipes freezing and other issues. Pipe Down Plumbing recommends this:
“First thing to do if you do have a frozen pipe that busted, is turn your water off. There should be a shut off above a meter, or if you're out in the country, turn your pump off,” said Wilhelms.
Handymen and plumbers get several calls this time of year, a lot of them being the same issues that can usually be easily avoided.
“Every year I get probably ten [calls] this time of year when it gets cold, you know, for water mostly, or furnace went out or breaker issues, you know, they didn't check their filters and their filters are clogged. Some people don't even know they have a filter on their furnace or to change them,” Ocheltree said.
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