Jeremiah Cooper
Temperatures in the Houston area are expected to dip into the 30s late Sunday, with overnight freezes projected for next week.
With a cold snap on the horizon, Joe Bany, director of operations at John Moore Services, advises homeowners to take proactive measures to protect their homes.
“You have to pay attention to any pipes that you have on the outside,” Bany said. “There are protective cases and covers that you can buy.”
Purchasing items like hose bibs or insulation covers for your pipes can be both cost-effective and helpful when preparing for a temperature drop. These steps help prevent pipes from freezing, saving homeowners potentially thousands of dollars in repairs. During the 2021 winter freeze, Bany said he witnessed the costly price tag for homeowners who did not adequately prepare.
“It was not uncommon for us to go to a house where they had 16 to 17 different pipes broken in their attic, ” Bany said.
RELATED: Freezing temperatures to move into Greater Houston area late Sunday
CenterPoint Energy, which distributes electricity to much of the Houston region, said it’s making its own preparations for the approaching winter weather. Freezing temperatures last January left thousands of customers around Harris County without power.
Another measure homeowners can take is ensuring their faucets are properly dripping. With water moving through the pipes, ice is less likely to form.
“Using the plumbing system is incredibly valuable; you can drip several faucets so that the water is moving and that the water doesn’t freeze up,” Bany said.
For homeowners who may be traveling out of town when it freezes, they might want to consider additional methods.
“If you’re going to be gone for three or four days, you might want to take the preparation of turning off the water to your house and draining the system down, so it doesn’t give it the chance to freeze,” Bany said.
Long-term considerations for homeowners include inspecting the insulation in their attics or other areas where pipes are located. Proper insulation is essential for protecting homes and pipes from extreme temperatures over time, Bany said.