With freezing temperatures in the forecast, please take these quick steps to ensure your equipment doesn’t freeze:
- If your system is in your garage just check that any water lines outside are insulated.
- If your equipment is outside there are a few precautions, you may want to take:
- Make sure the systems decorative cover is covering the system (big green or blue box or Rock cover) is secure and that no air can get under the cover. You may need to fill in some dirt around the cover. If you do not have a box or rock cover. Cover the units with an old blanket and wrap black trash bags over the blanket to keep it from getting wet.
- Make sure any exposed pipes are insulated.
- If you have a big blue filter that is outside wrap it in an old towel and then wrap a large black trach bag around it to keep the towel from getting wet.
- Make sure you have all external water facets covers on.
- Leave the water at a bathroom sink on at a very slow trickle (just a little more than a drip.)
- Most Texas homes are not insulated for the extreme cold (temps in the teens and colder) Some general tips to keep pipes from freezing in the extreme cold.
- If you have a sink on an outside wall leave open the cabinet doors under the sink. Allowing the warm air in your home to keep the pipes on the outside wall from freezing.
- Leave the water in sinks on the outside walls at a slow trickle (little more than a drip to keep them from freezing.
- Should your pipes freeze, here’s how to defrost the pipes.
- You will need a blow dryer, extension cord and a old towel or small blanket.
- Open some cold-water faucets inside the home.
- Locate any exposed pipe to low temps outside (pipes that are not buried). Remove any insulation around the pipe.
- Loosely cover the frozen pipe with the towel make a little tent with the towel to trap the heated air around the pipe and start heating the pipe with the blow dryer. The pipe should thaw out within 5 to 10 min and water will start to flow again.
- Insulate the pipe using new pipe insulation or a towel and black trash bag.
- Let the cold water run for about 5 min then turn the faucet off. Leave one faucet running at a slow trickle (little more than a drip) to keep the water moving and not allowing the pipe to freeze again.
- If you have a leak on or near your Culligan Equipment, call our office. If you have a leak anywhere else, call a local plumber.
- Stay warm out there!