11-Jan-10 7:00 AM CST

Freezing oustide temperatures and your home

What to do at your home when there are freezing temperatures outside

If your pipes have frozen: you must wait for them to thaw before anything can be done regarding repairs. Hopefully the pipes will thaw and there will be no damage to the pipes. If you do have a leak in the pipes, turn your water off to your house. Call Church Services if you can not get the water turned off and/or to schedule a repair.

Here are some things to help you if your pipes have not frozen.

1) Leave the attic door open to allow heat in the attic for the pipes.

2) Leave the house thermostat at 70 - 72 degrees

3) If you have a sink on an outside wall, leave the cabinet doors of the sink open to allow more heat to get in around the pipes

4) Wrap your outside exposed pipes with something such as pipe insulation, newspaper, or towels

5) Turn your sprinkler system off until the freezing weather is over with.

Winterizing your home in Houston

Insulate and wrap all exposed pipes inside and outside from the cold. Inside pipes are accessible in the attic and under sinks or in garage areas. Outside pipes need wrapped all the way to the ground
Seal your air leaks around windows and doors
Check your home for openings that could allow bugs, small animals and rodents to come inside and set up housekeeping

If you are leaving town for an extended period of time...

All of the above and….
Turn off the water to the house and open all the outside valves and leave them open while away
If you have a gas water heater, you want to turn the control to ‘Pilot”, or there might be a setting on your heater for ‘away/vacation’
If the water heater is electric, you want to turn the breaker off
You do not need to drain your water heater
For your HVAC system, it is a good idea to set the thermostat to 55 or 60 degrees in the winter and 80-85 degrees in the summer
If your HVAC system has an auto changeover capability, set the low temperature for 55 to 60 degrees and your high temperature to about 80-85 degrees
Upon your return to your home, it is recommended that you have your HVAC system inspected by Church Services since it has been idle for an extended period of time