As the temperatures start to rise, frozen pipes will start to thaw - so now what?
We talked to Taylor Boudreaux of Ronnie Frisby's Plumbing; he owns the company his grandfather started decades ago.
He says the first thing to do is find the shut off valve for your water. It's usually about a foot away from your water meter, he says.
"Try to locate the cut off valve now, when you have time, so you can shut it off if there's a problem," he advises. "The best thing to do is to find that meter, and shut that water off if your pipes are frozen, and open up some faucets to relieve that pressure as it thaws out."
As the thaw begins, he advises that you check any pipes you can see carefully.
"Once you've turned off your valve, check any exposed water lines, check for leaks. Even when the water is turned off, you'll see the leaks," he says.
To prevent pipes from freezing, the best thing to do is turn your water off if you can locate your valve. If not, leaving your faucets on with a slight trickle - not a drip - to prevent broken pipes, he says.
But, he emphasies: "always, the first thing is to know where your water turn-off is, and be prepared to turn the water off if anything does start leaking."
If you're not comfortable doing any of this, or you can't find your valve, seek a professional, he says.
"We know what we're looking for. If you can't find your valve as your pipes are thawing out, call a plumber. We'll come inspect everything," he says.
