Austin weather: Plumber gives tips to residents on how to protect pipes

AUSTIN, Texas - With more frigid temperatures on the way, it's important to make sure your home, particularly your pipes, are ready for the cold. As the mercury drops, local plumbers often start to get calls about frozen or burst pipes. 

"You'll see water bursts on exterior walls that are open face to the wind," said Jonathan Guyton, a plumber and project manager with Round Rock-based Crow's Plumbing Service. 

To prevent that, Guyton says the easiest thing you can do is drip your faucets, from your kitchen to your bathroom, even your bathtub. 

"We want to keep that water flowing so that it doesn't have the chance to freeze," said Guyton.

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It's also a good idea to open up cabinets containing pipes, so that space stays heated. And keep your thermostat at 65 degrees or above, to keep your house, and pipes, warm. 

"Making sure that we're keeping up with that semiannual HVAC service is very important," said Guyton. "You do want to make sure that your heat's working."

Also key: making sure vulnerable pipes are wrapped, especially if your water heater is outside. 

"If your water heaters are in your garage, you want to make sure that those pipes are wrapped. Any pipes that are exposed on the exterior of your home, you'll want to make sure those are insulated as well," said Guyton. "You should be wrapping your hose bibs on the outside of your house."

You can buy bib covers as well as a variety of wraps at your local hardware store, but an old t-shirt or bath towel works, too. Then, just keep an eye out for any sign of freezing pipes. 

"If you are losing water, if pressure drops anywhere throughout the home," said Guyton. "Moist spots in areas where plumbing is known to be."

If you have a frozen pipe, you can try warming it using a hair dryer, away from anything flammable. But your best bet may be to call a plumber. 

It also may be worthwhile to invest in a water monitor. That will let you know if there are any leaks or if anything goes wrong with your home's plumbing system.