Protect pipes and pets in the cold

SEATTLE — In a few days, workers at Beacon Plumbing could get exceptionally busy.

“Anytime the temperatures are below freezing for an extended period of time we’re running on overtime,” said journeyman plumber Brent Bates.

He said to prevent frozen pipes, which can burst when it thaws and cause a flood, it’s good to pay close attention to faucets on exterior walls that might have poor insulation.

Bates suggests keeping cabinet doors open beneath sinks on exterior walls to let in warmer air from the room, or leave a faucet dripping.

He also suggests temporarily blocking crawlspace vents if pipes beneath a home are poorly insulated and turning off isolation valves to outdoor faucets that might be attached to garages.

And anyone who might have reconnected hoses to faucets when it was warmer should disconnect them again.

“People might have their hoses out, we thought we were done with the cold,” Bates said.

Cold weather can also be hard on pets left outside.

Don Baxter at the Seattle Animal Shelter says bring them in, or at least make sure their water bowls don’t freeze.

“We want to make sure pets are safe,” Baxter said.

Outside the shelter, workers use pet-friendly de-icer.

But not everyone does.

“When they’re walking their pets around the streets, we ask that they wipe their pets paws off because they might be walking through de-icer that might not be pet friendly,” Baxter said.

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