The Gatlinburg Utilities Department is Advising Customers to Take Steps to Avoid Frozen Pipes Ahead of the Cold Snap
Cold weather isn’t all that strange to Tennessee residents, but it’s not every year there’s a cold snap like the one that’ll hit us after the snow on Tuesday. Forecast lows will be in the single digits, but this is not unusual at all from MY experiences with Ohio winters my whole life. These steps to prevent frozen pipes have always been repeated, regardless of how often the freeze settles in, but I’m going to put it out there to help remind people…once again, to take the proper precautions.
Locate your shutoff valve: Advise all members of your household where the main water shutoff valve is located in case of an emergency.
Prevent your pipes from freezing: Make sure water keeps moving through your home’s pipes by allowing a small trickle of water to run.
Keep your pipes warm: Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing.
Identify freezing points: Check your home for pipes in areas that could be prone to freezing, such as crawl spaces, unheated rooms, basements, garages and exterior walls. Where pipes are exposed to cold air, wrap them with insulation or other materials.
Check sprinkler and irrigation systems: Make sure systems have been fully drained and are turned off. Disconnect all hoses from outside faucets.
In the event your pipes do freeze, follow these steps:
Know where your main water shut-off valve is and turn off the water. Do not attempt to thaw frozen pipes without first turning off this valve.
Frozen water in pipes can be melted by warming air around it with a hair dryer or a space heater. Do not leave the space heater unattended. Also, do not use an open flame or kerosene to thaw frozen pipes.
Once your pipes are thawed, slowly turn water back on so you can check for any cracks or leaks in your plumbing system.
We’ve been there before with this problem—as I’m sure some of you have as well—so it’s a good public service announcement no matter how many times we’ve heard it. My thanks to the Gatlinburg Utilities Department for putting this out there for distribution. I have plenty of respect for the City of Gatlinburg, and the job they do to keep this place functioning, and making it a great place for tourists to visit, year after year.
Thank you for reading and subscribing to my publication. I hope you enjoy my coverage of everything Gatlinburg-related. It is home to me, and I want you all to feel welcome. And hopefully, I can help make your vacation as enjoyable as you expect it to be! See you next time!