Today I received a call that a pipe had burst in a Condominium in Newton, Ma. When I arrived, I found that the owners of the Condominium had left for Florida for the winter. I am sure before they left, they had their mail forwarded to Florida, stopped their Boston Herald delivery, and told their neighbors to keep an eye on their home. But it was the last thing they had done, which had ruined their beautiful home. They had turned down their heat to fifty degrees, and that act was like playing Russian roulette with a very high probability for a pipe break.
We run into scenarios like this over and over again when temperatures plummet. Condominium owners and renters who leave for vacation, turn down (sometimes even turn off) their thermostats. They believe this because they have a Condominium or apartment to their left, right, above, and below, so therefore their pipes won’t freeze……. right? This mindset sounds logical, but it doesn’t work, the pipes will freeze.
When you do leave your home for an extended period of time, you may turn your temperature down, but don’t lower it to less than 55 degrees. Also if you’re leaving your home for an extended period of time, think about purchasing a programmable freeze alarm. A freeze alarm is connected to the phone lines, and when the temperature reaches a programmed setting that you set, you will receive a phone call. It will play a prerecorded message stating that the temperature has reached its alarm setting. You can then call a family member, or friend to go to the home and check for the problem. So go on that vacation with the peace of mind that your pipes won’t freeze.
Good luck and Stay Dry…!
