With temperatures expected to drop below freezing this week, pipes around the homes of New Yorkers are likely to become more vulnerable to bursting.  

Petri Plumbing says they get a spike in calls every winter for two main reasons – no water around the house, and floods in the home.  

To avoid having to make those calls, Chris Petri, operations manager of Petri Plumbing, says that people should always have heat circulating through their home to prevent frozen pipes.  

If pipes are cold in a part of your home, Petri recommends having them insulated.  

“The number one call we get for frozen or burst pipes is from someone who doesn’t have heat,” said Petri. “Either a foam insulation, or if it’s extra cold… against an outdoor wall with absolutely no insulation, they might put a heat tape on it.” 

Petri also recommends people avoid lowering their heat too much during the nighttime. He says that putting it to around 55-60 degrees should help prevent frozen pipes while keeping energy bills reasonably priced.  

“One thing you can do is keep one of your faucets running at a slow drip, that way the water is always moving,” said Petri. “Moving water is always more difficult to freeze.”