Winter Weather is Coming to Cobb County, Don't Let Your House's Pipes Freeze

10/10/2019 (Permalink)

Winter is coming and temperatures are dropping, make sure your home is prepared for cold weather!

Winter is fast approaching North Georgia and will be here before we know it. The best time to prepare for winter weather and the dropping temperatures is to assemble supplies and fortify your property before it arrives. Trying to gather supplies once the cold weather event is upon us results in more accidents on the roads and people stranded in the cold. Having a general all purpose disaster ready kit is a great idea and will help prepare your home and family for cold weather events.

One of the leading causes of water damage in winter months is due to pipe freezes. When pipes freeze fittings, connectors, or even the pipe itself can crack. When the pipes eventually thaw out the water leaks from the pipes causing water damage to the structure. The best way to prevent pipe freezes is to not allow the temperature in at risk areas to drop below freezing by heating these spaces. PEX flexible plumbing lines are better suited for cold weather and could be used in place of traditional PVC or copper pipes. Insulating pipes will also help prevent pipe freezes, and can also improve the efficiency of your hot water heater.

SERVPRO of East Cobb and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention want everyone in the Cobb County & Metro Atlanta areas to be better prepared for winter weather this year. Most Atlantans remembers “Snowmageddon” back in 2014, when we were caught off guard by a few inches of snow and ice. Almost the entire metro area was brought to a stand still because of impassable roads and wrecked vehicles. Hopefully some of these tips will better prepare us and keep us safe this winter.

• Tips For The Home

You can winterize your home by installing insulation and weather stripping in areas that have gaps where cold air can infiltrate your home. You can also insulate water lines installed in exterior or exposed walls to help prevent pipe freezes. Having a working and well maintained heating system, whether it is gas or electric is very important. You should have your heating system serviced professionally once a year, and check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors monthly for charged batteries and are in good working order. Having a backup source of heat that can operate on alternative fuels is also a good.

• Tips For The Car

The CDC has a few simple tips to prepare your vehicle for winter weather. Make sure your vehicle is in good working order and has a full tank of fuel. This will help prevent fuel lines from freezing and keep ice from forming in the tank. Use cold weather windshield washer fluid and radiator fluid to prevent your vehicle’s systems from freezing. Always carry an emergency kit in the vehicle with blankets, cell phone charger or extra batteries, flashlight, first-aid kit, and some food and water.

SERVPRO of East Cobb is here to help the Cobb County area with any water restoration projects that might come up. No matter how big or small, SERVPRO here to help. We are the restoration company that can get the job done right the first time. Check out some of our satisfied customers on Facebook, Google, and Yelp!