KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It’s been frigid the past couple of days and it’s not expected to get warmer any time soon. This week’s weather is creating the perfect storm for frozen pipes.
Said Gousseinov with Morgan Miller Plumbing has been out taking care of these issues all week.
“We're extremely busy,” Gousseinov said. “All the plumbing, all the pipes and water feet is exposed, along with the drain pipes, so it's all frozen.”
In many cases, it’s because the pipes were not insulated properly.
“Spend some time to look at your plumbing, especially in the areas there's no heat source,” he said. “Insulate your pipes, check your pipes, insulate your windows.”
If not, it could cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.
If a pipe does burst in your home, KC Water strongly encourages you to know where your main shut-off valve is.
“That master shut-off valve can be found in the basement typically,” KC Water Preventative Maintenance Manager James Binkley said. “The reason why you want to shut this valve off is because the water's running in your house, it's doing damage.”
If you’re not sure where your shut off valve is, you can contact KC Water, or 311, and they can help locate it for you.
In areas where is there is no heat, like your garage, you want to insulate your pipes.
When it comes to your kitchen and bathroom, keep cabinets open.
“This way you got areas here where warm air can get in here and circulate around in the cabinets,” Binkley said.
Also, keep a thin stream of water flowing out of the faucet.
“That way it keeps the water running through the pipes so it's not sitting in the pipes and freezes up,” Binkley said. “This way you got water running through your pipes, slows down the freezing process.”
For those that have water hoses in their yard, making sure they’re detached from the water spigots is important. If they're not, water could seep in and freeze, and could later end up bursting inside your home.
