While it only happens for a few weeks here at the beach, we do get freezing temperatures (especially overnight). Water expands when it freezes and it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to prepping your pipes for coooool weather. Am I right, Conway? Aynor, you know what Cool Cat’s talking about! So, here’s what you should put on your must-do list to protect your home from freezing temperatures and frozen pipes.

1. Disconnect, drain and store hoses for the season.

2. Shut off the outdoor faucets at the shut-off valve and use the bleeder cap to drain any remaining water from the pipes.

3. Cover outdoor faucets with insulated faucet covers from the home store.

4. Seal all cracks, holes and around pipes going to the outside with caulking or if the space is bigger, expanding foam.

5. If you go out of town, turn the water off to your whole house at the home’s main shut-off valve. This prevents you from coming home to find hundreds of gallons of water flooding your house.

6. Install heat cables along piping that is exposed to the cold, such as in the basement, attic, crawl space or garage.

7. To help the heat cables work their best, install insulated wrap around pipes and heat cables to increase the efficiency of the heat cables and keep water running smoothly all winter.

8. Set faucets to a trickle during times with freezing temperatures. The small flow of water will help prevent the pipes from freezing up.

9. Open cabinet doors below sinks in the kitchen and the bathroom to allow warm air to circulate underneath the cabinets and prevent a freeze-up.

10. Use your heat. Keep your heat set for preferably 68 degrees to keep everything warm enough to prevent frozen pipes.

Now you have the know-how to prep your plumbing for cooooool weather and keep your pipes from freezing during a cold snap here at the beach. This was Cool Cat with more news you can use, heading out to find a nice warm fireplace to snooze in front of.