With power out for extended periods and temperatures expected to dip well below freezing, we’ve heard some folks express concern about pipes freezing and bursting in their homes. It’s a legit concern.
I spoke with a furnace servicing company today and was told simply having temperatures dip below freezing in an unheated house is probably not enough to raise too much concern, but really cold temperatures for long periods of time could, in fact, cause some serious damage to unheated homes. Turning off your water where it comes into your home and then draining your heating system (if it’s forced hot water) and your pipes certainly is your best bet. Trying to decide if you need to incur that much work, however, is the trick. A little pipe freezing isn’t certain doom, but if your entire system freezes up and water expands to burst the pipes, you could incur some major expense. It’s a decision a lot of homeowners are facing — as is yours truly. Power at my house is still out and not expected to come back on until Monday night. It was 37 degrees inside when I was there few hours ago. Brrr.
Noah R. Bombard is the new media editor for The Eagle-Tribune in North Andover. He is a former award-winning newspaper and magazine editor who has been covering news in Massachusetts since 1997.