CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Are you in more trouble during a freeze, in a “pier and beam home” or a foundation home?
One master plumber said there’s not as much of a difference as you might think.
No matter what type of home you have, the first rule is the same, if you’re out of town during a freeze, turn off your water. But there are plenty of things to keep an eye on if you do stay home.
Danny Hale, owner of Hale Plumbing, said any exterior water lines are most at risk such as pipes to sinks, toilets and showers that are located in an outside wall.
“The trouble spots would be your service riser [water main], your outside faucets, any exterior water lines that are on a faucet, a lavatory, a tub,” said Hale.
Hale said pier and beam homeowners should invest in skirting over the crawl space under your house, but these homes are still more vulnerable to weather than a foundation home.
“Most of your water lines are underneath in the foundation,” Hale said. “Not all of them, but some of them. Some of the houses built early on have lines in the attic. Lines thaw out, you can water lines that are just spraying in the attic, all the sheet rock can fall through. It can flood the entire house.”
Wesley Nebgen with Corpus Christi Water said that most tips are good, but it is important to remember that if you end up running your water, it could create problems for others.
“When tens of thousands of people drip their faucets it can reduce the available water throughout the city which could affect fire fighting, or fire hydrants, hospitals, other areas like that,” Nebgen said.
Nebgen also added to check for leaks the morning after a freeze.
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