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The Procrastinator – a water leak’s best friend

Tips for avoiding frozen pipes from State Farm®

Albuquerque, N.M., November 3, 2011 – If you’ve waited this long to prepare your home for winter, take heed. The temps have already plunged subzero and you may find yourself submerged in a close relationship with your home’s water system, a plumber and your insurance company.

When the outside temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, water pipes in homes with little or no insulation are likely to freeze and break. A one-eighth inch crack in a pipe can spew out more than 250 gallons of water a day, destroying floors, furniture, appliances and personal items - a timely concern for families about to leave their homes on holiday travel.

“Some of the most costly and destructive damage we see is due to burst frozen pipes while people are away from home,” says State Farm spokeswoman Angela Thorpe. “The incredible mess and loss of personal items that a small crack in a water pipe can cause is really unbelievable.”

Don’t let procrastination get the best of you this winter with these tips from State Farm.

Beat the Freeze

Minimize the chance your pipes will freeze by insulating pipes in unheated areas and those that run along outside walls, floors and ceilings. Disconnect outside garden hoses, and seal foundation cracks that let arctic air freeze pipes in crawlspaces.

When a deep freeze is predicted, a few simple tasks can help protect pipes and homes:

• Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to piping under sinks and vanities near exterior walls.
• Run a small trickle of water from hot and cold faucets during extreme cold.
• Keep exterior doors to unheated spaces closed as much as possible during winter months.
• If you plan to be away for an extended period, have the water system professionally drained.
• If you are taking a short trip or own a business that will be unoccupied for more than 24 hours, make arrangements to have the dwelling checked regularly during severe cold spells. Discovering a burst pipe or water leak quickly can prevent excessive damage.
• Install a whole house water leak detection system. For a list of manufacturers visit: http://www.statefarm.com/learning/loss_prevent/learning_loss_water_leak_det_system.asp

Media resources: Video about what to do before and after a frozen pipe bursts at:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8pBFHBvfto
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls97J_tQ0io

Contact

Angela Thorpe, State Farm Insurance, (303) 264-1560

About State Farm®

State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 37 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.