GREENE TOWNSHIP -- As the temperatures continue to drop, plumbing businesses are getting ready for one of the busiest times of the year.
With bitter cold in the forecast, it won't be too long before some people realize their pipes are frozen.
It’s not officially winter yet but it’s getting cold, actually a lot colder than it normally is for this time of year. Some plumbers want to remind you that you should get your house or vacation home ready for winter right now.
Winter might not be here yet but Mother Nature is making sure we don't forget what’s to come in a few weeks. Plumbers like Chuck Haussler say this season has already been busy for his business in the Poconos.
"We've drained down all of our vacation homes. They shut them down rather than keep the heat on,” said Chuck Haussler of Lake Region Plumbing.
Newswatch 16 tagged along with Lake Region Plumbing as they got a vacation home near Panther Lake ready for the winter. His partner hooked up an air compressor to the water tank which sucked up water from every fixture in the house.
"It's cheaper to have a house drained down professionally and then they don't have anything to worry about if there is a power outage."
Another useful tip he shared is one you can use anywhere in the house that has a sink.
"If you leave the door open, the cabinet door open, the heat can get around the pipes and they won't freeze.”
Freezing pipes is something everyone wants to avoid, and there are places you can stop at ahead of time to prevent issues further down the road.
Workers at Shaffer's Hardware say pipe insulation and water pipe heating cables are some of the popular things people are picking up.
Bill Pnick says he's used the same pipe freeze protector for 17 years. He's had no problems since then, but years ago he learned the hard way that protecting your pipes is important.
"We had our pipes freeze for a long time. I had to un-dry it with a hair dryer until we learned to put the heat wrap around them and that really works because it’s cold out here in the boondocks. It’s not like living in the city,” Pnick said.
Some other tips Lake Region Plumbing had is to slowly let the water drip from your sink when it’s going to be a cold night. And if you have a hose out of your spigot, take it out now to prevent your pipes from breaking.