MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Light, Gas and Water provided some tips on how you can help protect your home during cold weather to prevent problems.
With temperatures forecasted to be in single digits there are some things you can do now.
Gale Jones Carson with MLGW said burst pipes and fallen power lines could pose the biggest challenge moving forward and discouraged people from trying to handle either problem on their own.
“If they see lines down, stay away from them, don’t touch them. If their pipes or water heaters burst, we do consider that an emergency situation, so do call us,” she said. “We’ve been doing this for many, many years so we basically kind of have an idea how to man up for these storms.”
The company said there are some things you can be doing now to get ready.
Pipes can burst anytime temperatures are below freezing and with temperatures potentially dropping down to single digits in the coming days, hundreds of workers are now on standby.
Experts said you can prevent this from happening by leaving your cabinets open and the letting the faucets drip. You can also wrap pipes with clothes, towels or blankets to protect them from the cold.
If your pipes do freeze, you need to shut off the main valve in your home and call MLGW’s Emergency Hotline at (901) 528-4465.
Make sure you know where it is and get familiar with how to use it.
You should also make sure your heater is in good condition and that you know how to close the gas line in an emergency.
Also make sure your phones are charged and flashlights have batteries. Restoring power after an ice storm can take a long time.