Keep your pipes safe as temperatures drop

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Temperatures have been on the way down all week as we go even lower in the days ahead local plumbers say it can be trouble for your pipes.

"Being Idaho means where it's cold. Things freeze. Not like the summertime and not like the warmer areas of the country when we get this cold weather," First Call Jewel Plumbing Manager Bruce Ottley said. "The wind is the most dominant thing that causes freezing up is when you have that cold wind blowing through, it'll cause lines to freeze."

Frozen pipes can happen in any home. But according to local plumbers, they're more common in mobile or manufactured homes with less insulation

"They're not on set on a solid foundation a lot of times...A lot of times those aren't insulated really well," said Ottley. "...That's probably the most dominant place that there are freezing pipes."

Even if your pipes do freeze, experts at First Street Plumbing and Heating say there are ways to thaw them on your own.

"Open cupboards. Turn on the heater, leave a drip, leave the water running about a pencil size leak to keep them from freezing when it gets really cold," suggests First Street Plumbing and Heating's Lane Huntsman. "If the water is moving, it doesn't tend to freeze as quickly as if it's just sitting there."

Plumbers also say you can try warming up your pipes, but never use an open flame or anything larger than a small ceramic space heater.