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TREMONTON — Some of the most annoying problems inside your house can start with a little bit of negligence on the outside.
An outdoor hose, for example, could freeze, break and flood you home, according to Zack Craghead, owner of Mike Norr Plumbing in Tremonton.
Craghead said his team members are prepared for a possible hard freeze. They're checking their professional heat blowers and equipment that can heat sections of metal pipe.
However, homeowners should be ready too. Start with your hose bibs, he suggested.
"You can get one of these insulators and cover that up," he said.
Inside, you can run the water when it gets really cold outside. Or you can open cabinets to let warm air in. However, Craghead said you should pay attention to where the cold air is getting in.
"Sometimes they can be in the middle of the house, if your pipes are close to attics," he said.
Craghead said to watch for pipes that may be near outside vents. Heat tape can help in mobile or manufactured homes.
Craghead said the many freezes and resulting floods that his employees see didn't have to happen.
"They are preventable, you know," he said. "You can leave faucets dripping and just pay attention, make sure your traps don't freeze because then you can flood your house as well."
But if you discover a problem and want to fix a freeze yourself, Craghead said mistakes often happen.
"A lot of times people will, you know, try different things such as welders and stuff to thaw pipes," he said. "And yeah, it could cause trouble putting propane heaters, you know, in the house or right close to stuff that can catch on fire."
