Ice Ice Baby

The folks here where I live are in for one cold night with a Hard Freeze Warning. This means that temps below 32 degrees can be expected for more than 10 hours and some spots of Northwest Florida will have nighttime lows in the teens. Weather this cold is always a problem for the Deep South because we are not prepared and systems are not designed for prolonged periods of sub-freezing temperatures. We always talk about the four "Ps" when it gets this cold.

Plants Pets Pipes and People.

A hard freeze will kill tender plants and ornamental shrubs. Outdoor pets are susceptible to stress at very cold temperatures. This is also true for the elderly and those without sufficient heating systems. Many home fires are started during prolonged cold snaps because some decided to heat their homes with non-traditional heating systems creating fire hazards.

Over the years I am sure you have heard that your should drip your faucets during extremely cold outbreaks. But do you know why? Outdoor spigots and faucets that are not insulated will get as cold as the surrounding air. Any water that is in the spigots and the service line leading to it will freeze. As water freezes it expands. It expands because the water molecules increase in size to allow for the hydrogen bond. To accommodate for this expansion, the pipe, whether plastic or metal, will break or rupture. The only way to avoid pipes bursting in sub-freezing weather is to either drain all of the water from the pipe or slowly drip water through it. While it is costly to run that much water, it is far less costly that replacing the pipes. A steady trickle more than a few drops and less that a stream of water will work.

Good luck on this cold night. And keep in mind the "3 Hs" of summer are just around the corner.

Justin