How to protect your pipes, sprinklers ahead of cold weather | wtsp.com

2023-01-16 05:46:15 By : Ms. Lilia Qin

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TAMPA, Fla. — As a strong cold front is making its way toward the Tampa Bay area in the coming days, now's the time to make preparations around the house to protect your belongings. Water Level Control Valve

How to protect your pipes, sprinklers ahead of cold weather | wtsp.com

When temperatures drop, there's the possibility that your pipes and sprinklers will freeze – which is never a good thing.

Here are some steps to take to make sure everything makes it through the cold front safely.

When water freezes in pipes, its volume expands and puts pressure on the pipe from inside, The Home Depot explains. This can lead to the pipe bursting and causing plumbing damage.

The home improvement company came up with a number of steps for people to take to make sure their pipes don't freeze, including:

Click here for more tips on how to find out if the pipes are frozen and how to thaw them.

"Typically, pipes in Florida aren’t designed for that extreme temperature, and there are many pipes that go into the home that aren't insulated and directly exposed to the air," Director of Tampa Water Department, Chuck Breit, said. "So when the air temperature drops below freezing, those pipes will freeze."

If your pipes burst, Breit said the first thing to do is shut off the water. 

"That's going to prevent the worst type of damage," he added. "So knowing where you're shut off now is before it gets cold is a really good idea."

When temperatures drop, it's possible for sprinkler systems to be damaged if not properly prepared.

Rain Bird broke down four different steps to take to ensure that people's irrigation systems are prepared.

The front is expected to sweep across the Tampa Bay area late Thursday night into Friday morning. Highs on Friday will likely be during the morning hours with dropping temperatures into the afternoon as cold air pours south behind the front.

Temperatures will continue to drop Friday night into Saturday morning. Christmas Eve morning (Saturday) will likely be the coldest part of this air mass for central Florida. Christmas Day will be cold also, but will be a touch warmer compared to Christmas Eve.

Read more about the upcoming cold front by clicking here.

How to protect your pipes, sprinklers ahead of cold weather | wtsp.com

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