By Xhaxany Cuellar, Assistant Editor
Every year UMHB and its students experience a winter freeze between January and February. Residents living in the dorms and apartments are given instructions to drip their faucets to prepare for the incoming weather, but what is the reason behind why we do this?
According to HouseDigest, Pipes burst in the winter as a result of too much frozen water that takes up too much surface space. The idea behind the “dripping faucet” technique is that as you leave the water running, warmer water will be pulled from the ground and replace the water near freezing before it can fully turn into ice. However, according to legacy plumbing, this isn't necessary if your pipes are already being kept warm from the heat radiating from your house. Faucets located on exterior walls are more vulnerable to freezing temperatures.
There are a few other methods you can utilize to help keep your pipes from bursting. Since you'll likely already be running the heater in your home, opening your cabinets and exposing them to the warmer air circulation will help keep them warm and will help keep them from bursting.
To learn more visit Does Letting Your Faucets Drip In Cold Weather Really Do Anything? (housedigest.com)
