How to Get Your Salina Home Ready for the First Freeze — Presented by ServiceMaster Restore

With a Freeze Watch in effect for Saline County from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and lows near 30 possible, Friday is a good day to get your home ready for the cold. The National Weather Service in Wichita warns that freezing temperatures could damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

Protect Outdoor Faucets and Hoses

• Disconnect garden hoses from outdoor spigots and drain them.
• Cover outdoor faucets with insulated foam covers, or wrap them with towels and plastic.
• If you have indoor shut-off valves for outside faucets, turn them off and open the outside spigot to drain the line.

Winterize Sprinkler Systems

• Shut off the water to your sprinkler system and drain the lines before temperatures drop.
• Wrap or cover exposed pipes and backflow devices.

Watch Pipes Inside the House

• Insulate pipes in unheated spaces such as crawl spaces, garages and attics.
• On the coldest nights, open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air can reach the pipes.
• Know where your main water shut-off is in case a pipe bursts.

Check the Furnace

• Test your furnace before you need it, and replace the filter.
• Make sure carbon monoxide detectors are working.

If a Pipe Freezes or Bursts

• If a faucet only trickles, the pipe may be frozen. Keep the faucet open and warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer, never an open flame.
• If a pipe bursts, shut off the main water supply right away and call for help with water cleanup.

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