Insurance Companies Warn Against Frozen Pipes During Cold Temps

Temperatures across the metro are plunging yet again Tuesday morning.

The risk is that freezing temperatures may cause your water pipes to burst.

A quick way to prevent this from happening is making sure water is flowing from your faucets.

According to State Farm's numbers from last year, the company processed 149 freeze claims totaling more than $3 million.

The science behind it is that when water freezes in pipes, it expands to a greater volume than the pipes can hold, causing them to burst.

Local insurance agents say the pipes aren't expensive to fix as the water damage is.

"What a lot of people don't realize is how damaging water can be if their pipe freezes and someone is at work and it runs for several hours. It can easily be a $20,000, $30,000, $40,000 claim if wood floors get wet for example," Scott Streller of Farmer's Insurance said.

Additional preventative tips include keeping your thermostat at a steady temperature, opening your cabinet doors and insulating pipes when possible.