Preparing For Area’s First Deep Freeze
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Falling temperatures finally have West Tennessee feeling like February, but do not let the deep freeze set your house in flames. “You need to give space heaters exactly that – space,” said Jackson Fire Department Fire Marshal Wayne Arnold. “Plenty of room around them so they’re at least 3 feet away from anything combustible.” That includes using a space heater to keep pipes from freezing. “The thing to remember is to open the cabinet doors and keep them a decent amount of way from the cabinet itself,” said Arnold. But plumbing experts said there are other ways to prevent freezing pipes. “If there’s a faucet, you can leave a small drip going on the faucet overnight – that’ll keep the water moving through the pipes so they’re not going to freeze,” said plumbing expert Jacob Hamilton. “Moving water is much less likely to freeze than standing water.” Hamilton said only outdoor pipes need to be insulated, but if they are under your house, make sure your home is heated. “The best thing you can do to keep the pipe from freezing is – you want to make sure the house is adequately heated,” said Hamilton. Keeping the radiant heat in, means closing up crawl spaces and outdoor vents. “It keeps drafts of cold air from coming through the house,” said Hamilton. “And it helps to trap heat under the house that is coming from inside the house.” Hamilton said to trap heat, not water, and unhook all outdoor hoses. “Water can stay in those, and it will keep water staying in your hydrant that’ll end up freezing and causing costly damage when then spring time comes and you turn that hose bib back on,” said Hamilton. Experts said if you take these precautionary steps, it would likely take several days of freezing temperatures for there to be any problems.
