Its going to be freezing tonight in Athens!

Time to prepare for ole Jack Frost in Athens Georgia! When temps dive into the 20's and 30's there's a good chance you will wake up with a busted pipe or outdoor hose faucet in the morning. Here's our quick prep for this winter:

1) Insulate. Wrap pressurized plumbing and outdoor fixtures with Armor Flex or some type of insulation. Wise old timers pull a couple of old socks around outdoor hose faucets and then pull a grocery bag over them fastened by string or rubber bands. This works! If you want something more aesthetically pleasing to the exterior of your home use the readily available styrofoam and plastic insulators that Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart cary.

2) Close crawlspace vents. Many leave them open and escape disaster if its not in the teens or 20's for 3 or more days.

3) let an indoor faucet or two drip. This is another one of those " Wise old timer" tips. Also pretty effective but It may not help with an isolated outdoor faucet exposed to the elements.

4) Leave the heat on. When traveling to the in-laws for the holidays its tempting to turn the thermostat off to save some money! But if temperatures plummet to sub freezing temps the money saved will most likely not be enough to cover a busted water line and damage in the house. Many sources say a setting of 55 degrees will prevent the freezing of plumbing supply lines and fixtures in the home.

5) Heat. Heat the plumbing and fixtures exposed to the worst cold. For instance if your home gets its water delivered from a well onsite the well itself should be protected from the elements with a structure protecting from rain, snow, and wind. Something as simple as a light bulb will aid in preventing a pipe burst or fixture breaking due to freezing. Ive seen some penny pinchers keep it so cold in their home during the winter that toilets burst into pieces from the water in the tank and bowl freezing. A light bulb near the toilet could prevent this!