February 4th, 2023 by WCBC Radio

With an arctic blast slamming Maryland on Friday, temperatures are expected to drop well below freezing. Area residents are advised to take some steps to keep your pipes from freezing and potentially bursting.

The National Weather Service forecast called for temperatures in the single digits overnight Friday and only hitting 35 on Saturday. Wind chills below zero at times. It's important to know how to prevent your home's water pipes from freezing. Frozen water pipes in unheated basements and crawl spaces can be messy and expensive to fix. But if you have a frozen faucet, there are steps you can take to safely thaw out a water line without burning down the house. Fire officials say it's important during cold spells to monitor automatic sprinkler systems, fire pumps, hoses and hydrants. Whether or not pipes in these systems actually burst, any freezing of water can block water flow needed in case of fire. Preventing Frozen Pipes: There are three common causes of frozen pipes:

1. Quick drops in temperature

2. Poor insulation

3. Thermostats set too low