How are your pipes doing? Yea, that sounds like a weird question to ask, but I have my reasons. And that's because we're in the coldest months of the year, which could cause havoc with the plumbing in your home.

As a travel trailer owner, I know how important it is to keep the plumbing in my camper safe, especially during the winter when it's in storage. It's a different situation obviously than your year-round home, but if I don't winterize correctly by blowing out the lines and adding anti-freeze, come spring, I'm going to have some serious water issues to deal with.

While it can be a headache and cost me money if I have to replace water lines in my camper, it's nothing compared to replacing burst pipes in my home. That could be a costly repair. So what can you do to help prevent frozen and burst pipes in your home?

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With the current cold snap, we are experiencing, Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham has urged residents to take measures to prevent pipes from freezing in homes and businesses with some great tips from the American Red Cross.

If you have water supply lines that run through a garage, keep your garage door closed, and open cabinet doors in your bathroom and kitchen. That allows warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. If you plan on going away for a period of time, don't set your home temperature any lower than 55 degrees.

The American Red Cross also suggests letting cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes to help prevent pipes from freezing, and they recommend setting your thermostat temperature the same for both day and night to help prevent a costly repair job if your plumbing freezes and burst.

For more detailed tips including ways to safely thaw frozen pipes, visit the American Red Cross website.

Mayor Kraham also is urging homeless residents or in need of housing, to call 2-1-1 and head to the nearest local shelter during cold snaps this winter.

via American Red Cross, Binghamton Mayor

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