Frozen and burst pipes are top concerns for anyone leaving their home in the winter. There are simple things you can do to help prevent problems in the event the furnance malfunctions and temperatures in the home drop. Regardless of where you are located though, the number one best practice when it comes to water in any house is to turn the water off at the main if you are going to be away.

1.       Keep the heat on to a recommended temperature. We recommend keeping your temperature between 60-65 for people in Minnesota. If you have a humidifier, many HVAC companies will want the temperature at the higher of that range to ensure the humidifier is working properly.   Keeping it in that range ensures if the furnace or power does go out, it is a longer way to get to freezing before it is a possible disaster. 

2.       Open cabinet doors and interior doors. This is something we do for our clients when we first start watching their homes and getting it into home watch mode. This helps heat from the home reach the pipes in the event the temperature drops. If you have a room that tends to be cold, keep the door open to allow heat from warmer areas get to it. We also recommend keeping utility room door open to help spread that warmth from the furnace.

3.       If you are concerned about frozen pipes, you could install heat tape and pipe insulation. This is just another step to take to proactively prevent a costly disaster.

4.       Seal up cracks and holes around doors, windows, to keep cold air from entering the house.