| In January of 2005, the Sax family woke up to | | | | and attic, where pipes are most vulnerable to |
| discover that the pipes in their family's | | | | the cold. The better the insulation, the |
| weekend ski lodge garage had burst. The | | | | better the protection. Be sure to use |
| garage was flooded, but that's not the worst | | | | products approved by an independent testing |
| of it. The water then froze, encasing all 3 | | | | organization, such as Underwriters |
| of their cars in a thick layer of ice. It | | | | Laboratories, Inc., and only for their |
| took hours to chip, crack, pick, and melt | | | | approved use (indoor versus outdoor). |
| their cars free. | | | | |
| | | | 4. Seal Leaks |
| Surveys indicate that "frozen pipes" ranks as | | | | |
| the number one fear of vacation homeowners in | | | | Keep cold air away from your pipes. Seek out |
| the United States. Water damage is second | | | | air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer |
| only to fire damage in number and amount in | | | | vents, and pipes. Use caulk or insulation to |
| insurance claims. The best way to prevent | | | | seal out the cold and seal in the heat. |
| your pipes from freezing to make sure you | | | | |
| never let your home go below 55°F. The | | | | Enhancing Your Freeze Alarm: When it gets |
| best way to do that is with a freeze alarm. | | | | Cold |
| | | | |
| Why Rely on a Freeze Alarm? | | | | 3. Let It Trickle |
| | | | |
| A freeze alarm is a sophisticated device | | | | Let a little warm water trickle through the |
| designed to grant you peace of mind when it | | | | pipes overnight. Use a faucet on an outside |
| comes to your property, be it your year-round | | | | wall. |
| home or just a vacation spot. A freeze alarm | | | | |
| monitors the temperature of your home (or | | | | 2. Open Cabinet Doors |
| vacation home) and will alert you if the | | | | |
| temperature drops to dangerous levels. The | | | | Open the cabinet doors around your sinks and |
| freeze alarm alerts you by calling up to | | | | near appliances to let warm air get to the |
| three different numbers with a recorded | | | | pipes under your sinks. Be sure to remove all |
| message announcing the risky change in | | | | dangerous cleaning supplies and chemicals out |
| temperature. The freeze alarm will not stop | | | | of the reach of children. |
| calling until you tell it to, ensuring that | | | | |
| someone will be alerted to the situation. | | | | Enhancing Your Freeze Alarm: Before You Leave |
| | | | |
| Ultimately, a freeze alarm ensures that you | | | | 1. Keep Warm |
| will always know what it going on in your | | | | |
| home, even if you can't be there all the | | | | Set your thermostat no lower than 55°F |
| time. | | | | (12°C). |
| | | | |
| But you can do more than just install a | | | | Along with a freeze alarm, these actions will |
| freeze alarm and wait for the phone call. You | | | | help you keep your pipes insulated and |
| can jump into action now to enhance the | | | | prevent freezing. When you install a freeze |
| effectiveness of your freeze alarm with | | | | alarm and take certain measure to protect |
| several other preventive measures. | | | | your pipes, you can leave your home for a ski |
| | | | tip and not worry about returning to |
| Enhancing Your Freeze Alarm: Before It Gets | | | | thousands of dollars worth of damage. You can |
| Cold | | | | own a vacation home and enjoy peace of mind |
| | | | knowing it is safe from water damage. A |
| 5. Insulate Pipes | | | | freeze alarm eliminates that number one |
| | | | concern of property owners: frozen pipes. |
| Insulate the pipes in your home's crawlspace | | | | |