How to prepare your home for the impending Arctic blast

If you want to make sure your pipes don't freeze during record-breaking cold, AccuWeather's Damien Lodes has crucial tips for you.

Transcript

00:00With record-breaking colds in the forecast once again, including the first hard freeze of the season for some,

00:07now is the time to start prepping your home for how to deal with the impending Arctic blast.

00:12When water freezes, it begins to expand.

00:15And that means when temperatures drop low enough, which they will beginning this weekend,

00:19the water in your home's pipes will begin to expand as well.

00:23And that water, it doesn't have anywhere to go, which leads to, unfortunately, burst pipes.

00:29Which is why it's important to do what you can to prevent them from freezing.

00:33You can take action now before the record-setting cold moves in.

00:37Experts say that the most efficient way to prevent pipes from bursting in cold weather is to drip your faucet.

00:43But which faucet should you drip in? How large or fast should that drip be?

00:48Experts tell us that the faucet in the most interior portion of your house or apartment is ideal.

00:54Those faucets have the highest length of pipe for water to travel and freeze.

00:58So dripping those ones will do the most good.

01:01Experts also tell us that a narrow steady stream, not dripping, but steady stream of water is best.

01:07You can still maintain a solid drip, but a solid stream about the diameter of a pencil

01:12is your best bet for preventing pipes from freezing and bursting.

01:17Now that may seem like a lot of water compared to a steady drip.

01:21But the cost of extra water, that pales in comparison to a burst pipe if your pipes do begin to freeze.

01:28And if they are freezing up, the best way to thaw them out is by using either a space heater or a hair dryer.

01:34Just make sure that if you are using a space heater, that it has plenty of space from its surroundings.

01:39So that way it also doesn't create a fire hazard.

01:42Stay right here with AccuWeather Ahead. We'll have more updates coming up right after this.