The expected freezing temperatures could wreak havoc on your pipes and your wallet if you don't take proper precautions. With a winter blast headed for the Midlands, hardware store owner Bill Hampton is stocking up as customers look to protect their pipes.
"We've ordered extra fittings and extra water keys to cut the water off, and extra pipe," said Hampton. "And supplies to fix the pipe because we know there's going to be some damage done."
There are common tips experts say you can follow in extreme cold. Columbia resident Linda Lyles, knows them well.
"I turn it on to a slow drip, right before I go to bed if I think it's going to be a freeze," said Lyles. "And sometimes we wrap the pipe with insulation around the outside, for the one's that are exposed."
Lyles knows extreme cold weather can mean trouble.
"It's very important, because one year we didn't and our pipes froze and busted," said Lyles.
"The heating tape is curled around the pipe and covered with insulation, to hold the heat in," said Hampton.
As the mercury dips, Hampton also recommends something as inexpensive as $2 pipe insulation. It can save you thousands of dollars in property damage.
"A lot of people come in and put on the heating tapes after the pipes are frozen, and then it's too late," said Hampton. "The damage is done. You don't have any water and you'll see the big mess."
Taking a few preventative measures now, might prevent the mess and some aggravation.
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