DICKSON CITY, Pa. -- This week's temperature free fall is sure to drive up your heating bill and potentially freeze your pipes, but you don't necessarily need a professional to help keep your pipes from popping.
That icy wind blowing into your home is making you cold and causing your heating system work overtime. We went to the Home Depot in Dickson City to get some do-it-yourself tips on how to keep the cold out.
"Window installation kits, a lot of air comes through your windows. These go on the inside of your windows, real easy to install for a do-it-yourselfer. Hair dryer and it comes with double sided tape, stops a lot of the drafts that come through," said Home Depot manager Jason Hunter.
Another spot where the hot air likes to sneak out is around your doors.
"Weather stripping for around your leaky doors, if you have a draft coming through, sometimes it's around the jams. You put this on. It comes with double-sided tape and stops a lot of the draft coming through," said Hunter.
"Some of your outside fixtures, a lot of heat can get lost out of there. We have things like faucet covers that can go on the outside of your house. They just attach with a little plastic clip on the inside. It prevents a lot of the wind from coming in your faucet or around your faucet heads," Hunter explained.
You don't have to be handy around the house to help prevent your pipes from freezing up.
"Cabinets, great idea to leave the cabinet doors open when it gets this cold. If you have an area that's really prone to freezing, leave the water run," Hunter advised.
Hunter also had some advice if your efforts fail and you do have some frozen pipes.
"You don't want to thaw it too quickly. You want a calm, even heat from a hairdryer is typically the best way to go. Leave the water run, it will run faster and faster," he added.
Mother Nature will help thaw us out this weekend and next week with temperatures forecast to approach 50 degrees on Tuesday.