Louisiana Residents Need to Do This in Home During Hard Freeze

(Lafayette, Louisiana) - Much of Louisiana is bracing for a hard freeze, and that means you should start to prepare your home for below-freezing temperatures through the weekend.

If you have any exposed outdoor pipes, you need to take precautions and wrap them with proper insulation. Also, you need to detach your garden hoses from the outdoor faucets and drain them completely. Never leave them connected, and never use a towel to insulate pipes. When they get wet, they freeze, which can cause further damage to the pipes you are trying to protect.

For homes lifted off the ground, consider wrapping the bottom with felt or adding boards to the base to protect it from cold winds blowing beneath. This could help prevent pipes below your house from freezing.

For those who live in slab homes, your below-ground pipes should be fine, but during a hard freeze, pipes in your walls may freeze.

Last year, during the blizzard that blanketed Acadiana, I made a mistake at home that I won't make again, and it could save you and me a lot of money and headaches.

On the north side of my house, we have a bathroom, and as snow was accumulating outside, I noticed low water pressure in one of our sinks, which indicated the water line was freezing. I could have prevented this pipe from freezing had I done one simple thing, which I will highlight here.

How to Protect Pipes During Freeze

For many years, plumbers have advised us that during a hard freeze, it is wise to open all cabinet doors that lead to plumbing in your house. That means we should open the doors below the sinks, as this allows warm air to reach the cabinets where the pipes are, helping prevent them from freezing when temperatures are well below freezing.

The good news about the pipe that froze under my sink is that there was no damage to the plumbing. A plumber told me to use a hair dryer to warm the pipe, and it worked. Water started flowing freely after I heated the pipe, and that, too, is something to keep in mind as Acadiana braces for some very cold mornings in the days ahead.

One more thing: while we are talking about protecting your pipes, let's also make sure we are taking care of our pets that may be outdoors and people. If you see anyone who needs shelter during these very cold days, contact your local authorities so they can assist.