It’s about time to think about the drip.
You know the deal – slowly run a water faucet in the house, preferably at the opposite end of the casa from where it comes from the county.
It’s done to keep the water running – albeit ever so slightly – so that nothing has a chance to freeze.
‘Cause that’s what’s coming – seriously cold weather.
No, it’s not going to be crazy cold enough for any real damage. But why waste the chance to practice.
It’s better than a busted pipe.
Just turn on the faucet slightly enough to cause a slight drip.
But that’s not all we should do.
Put insulation caps on outdoor water faucets. And if you have open or close air vents in the crawl space, close them so cold air doesn’t make it in and cill your floor.
If the swimming pool stays open during the winter, make sure it has enough salt in the system and run it whenever temperatures are forecast for 32 or below.
Don’t laugh, such easy measures could easily result in money-saving and a lot less hassle.
In it’s Thursday weather forecast last week, the National Weather Service in Wakefield issued a freeze warning for our region.
Overnight inland temperatures of lows in the mid to upper 20s and lows of closer to the very low 30s coast-wide are possible for some of the week.
Wednesday’s low if forecast to hit the upper 20s inland and just under freezing along the coast. Thursday will be about the same, with a tiny warming trend on Friday.
Preparing for these things is a great way to get ready for what’s coming off and on over the winter.
Remember, it’s going to get worse as conditions get colder.
With the house taken care of, target the boat.
If it lives at our marina and you’ve winterized, you should be good to go.
If your boat is trailered at home, make sure it leans backwards so that water drains from the plug opening. Make sure pumps and water lines are waterless.
In all cases, check on your systems throughout freezing temperatures. It would be worth the cost of your labor – if not a whole lot more.
To read more of my work, go to: leetolliveroutdoors.com
