Wintertime comes with its share of daily to-do items to check off, from shoveling sidewalks to salting stairways. There are also quite a few essential home winter maintenance items to be addressed long before the snow and the mercury begin to fall. Among these are ensuring that your home’s pipes are well protected against freezing. Installing low temperature sensors throughout your home is an important part of protecting your pipes.
Frozen Pipes: More Than an Inconvenience
It can be an extremely costly mistake to assume that a frozen pipe is simply a temporary inconvenience. Should a frozen pipe burst – especially if you aren’t at home at the time – the price to remediate water damage could run as high as $15,000. In 2018, State Farm estimated that losses related to burst pipes totaled to more than $270 million in 2018 alone, with more than 250K families affected by frozen pipes. They remind their policyholders that a temperature drop to less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside is enough to freeze pipes in some homes.
Some of the damage may be prevented if you find the burst pipe fast enough. If you’re traveling or at work, however, water damage can continue for hours or even days before it’s discovered. This is where installing low temperature sensors and connecting them to your home security system can help.
How Do Low Temperature Sensors Help?
Low temperature sensors are an essential piece of environmental hazard detection equipment that can keep eyes on your home even when you’re not around to do so. They connect into your home security system and immediately alert you if the temperature falls into a specific range. These kinds of sensors work particularly well when installed in bathrooms, basements, and other areas with lots of plumbing.
Should the temperature fall to/below your set target, your home security system will notify you so that you can take steps to bring the temperature up. While it’s also a good idea to have water sensors to notify you of leaks and flooding in places like the basement, low temperature sensors will alert you before a pipe bursts and a leak begins to happen.
Additional Steps to Protect Your Pipes
In addition to installing low temperature sensors, there are other steps you can take to protect your pipes during extreme winter weather. Experts recommend keeping temperatures in all areas of your home to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and above during the wintertime.
What if the temperature drops suddenly or if you’re away on vacation when truly cold weather sets in? Installing a smart thermostat is an excellent way to be in control of the climate in your home no matter where you’re at. With a smart thermostat, if you receive a notification that the temperature in your downstairs bathroom has dropped to a frosty 44 degrees, you can access your thermostat via your smartphone and immediately bring the temperature up.
Low temperature sensors and a smart thermostat are especially important if you travel on vacation in the winter. While many people think of vacation home security as locking your doors and setting the security system, Mother Nature can do just as much damage (if not more!) than an intruder. Doing things like installing low temperature sensors and ensuring that you have remote access to your thermostat are two home vacation strategies that will save you a headache and a huge water remediation bill should a cold front sweep through while you’re away.
With summertime over and fall on its way, it’s time to start thinking about everything on the wintertime home maintenance list. As you dust off the snowblower and get out the salt, consider making sure your home security system is up-to-date and ready for any wintertime threats. With a smart home thermostat and low temperature sensors in place, you’ll be ready for whatever Old Man Winter can throw at you.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 35 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions, and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
