Reminder from the Town of Ocean City: Cold temps can lead to frozen pipes

To help protect residents and business owners from the expense and headache of dealing with frozen pipes, the OCFD has a few tips to help keep the bursts at bay:

·         Seal cracks: Caulk around door frames and windows to reduce incoming cold air. Winter winds whistling through overlooked openings can quickly freeze exposed water pipes.

·         Open cupboard doors in the kitchen and bathrooms: Water lines supplying these rooms are frequently on outside walls. Leaving the doors open when the temperature is below freezing allows them to get more heat.

·         Let faucets drip in below-freezing weather: This will help keep an even flow of water moving through your internal plumbing system and prevent freezing.

·         Protect outdoor pipes and faucets: In some homes, the outside faucet has its own shut-off in the basement in addition to the shut-off valve for the entire house. If you have a separate valve for outside faucets, close the valve, remove hoses and drain the faucet. If you don't have a separate valve, wrap the outside faucets (hose bibs) in newspapers or rags covered with plastic.

·         Insulate indoor pipes or faucets in unheated areas: Pipes in internal unheated areas such as the garage or crawl space under the house should be wrapped with insulated foam. Wrap the entire length of the exposed pipe and cover all valves and pipe fittings.