Coldest night of the season so far: Don’t forget to drip your pipes

Chattanooga, TN (WDEF) – If you ventured outside Monday, you probably noticed a change in the air.  After the winter that largely wasn’t so far…  Mother Nature reminded us just how chilly she can get during January in the Tennessee Valley.
        We’re expecting the coldest night of the season so far Monday night, and that means it time to do some preventative maintenance to make sure you have running water Tuesday morning.

        Tip #1: If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to disconnect the garden hoses.  You can pick up plastic covers to place over your outdoor faucets to protect them from the cold at nearly any local home improvement store for a couple of bucks, or just wrap a rag or towel around the faucet head and duct-tape it in place.  It may not look pretty, but it should help keep your pipes from freezing.

        Tip #2: Open the cabinets under your indoor sinks.  This allows the heat from your home help keep the pipes a bit warmer than they’d otherwise be.  This is especially important for any sinks located on outside walls.  Just allowing the warmer air to circulate can make a sizable difference.

        Tip #3: Drip your faucets before you go to bed.  You don’t need to open the faucets fully, but running at least a trickle of water means the water in the pipes is moving, and moving water is far less likely to freeze.

        Also, please don’t forget your four-legged friends.  Just like you and I are not acclimated to this bitterly cold weather, neither are they.  Let the dogs and cats sleep indoors tonight, and keep an eye on their water bowls in case of freezing.

        The good news is this is only a cold "snap" rather than a cold spell, so overnight lows should rebound to the 20s by Tuesday night (and that deserves at least a "5" on the Amy-O-Meter.)

        Stay warm everyone!