Winter Storm Advisory for North Texas

2/6/2018 (Permalink)

Winter Storm Liam:

Winter weather advisories for the threat of snow, freezing rain and sleet have also been issued from North Texas and Eastern Oklahoma into the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic. At this time, winter weather advisories are not in effect for the downtown neighborhoods of Dallas-Fort Worth, but are in effect for the northern suburbs. 

Winter Storm Preparedness: Prevent Frozen Water Pipes

Winter storms don’t happen very often in Dallas; however, cold weather does come to town. That being said,

The National Severe Storms Laboratory categories a winter storm as having snow, sleet, or freezing rain. In North Texas we can see any of this type of precipitation. When the temperature is below freezing, and precipitation is in the forecast, SERVPRO of Grapevine and N.E. Tarrant County knows what types of calls to expect: water damages.

How Water Pipes Freeze and Break

A water damage during a winter storm happens when your pipes freeze. When water freezes, it expands and creates pressure inside the pipe, which can cause it to break.  The pipes that are most likely to freeze are those outside the home that are exposed.  Other vulnerable pipes are those indoors that don’t have access to heat, like those under your kitchen cabinets or in the garage.

Indoor Frozen Pipe Prevention

Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses. Detaching the hose allows water to drain from the pipe. Otherwise, a single hard, overnight freeze can burst either the faucet or the pipe it's connected to.

Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas. If you have pipes in an unheated garage or cold crawl space under the house, wrap the water pipes before temperatures plummet. Hardware or building supply stores will have good pipe wrapping materials available.

Allow steady water flow. In some places you're advised to leave a steady drip or pencil-lead-thin stream of water flowing from a bathroom faucet during the worst of a cold spell.

SERVPRO of Grapevine and N.E. Tarrant County 817-595-2506