In a Chicago cold snap, a house without heat loses temperature quickly, and pipes along exterior walls, crawlspaces and unheated porches freeze first. A burst pipe can do more damage than the heating failure itself. Here’s how to protect them while you wait for repair.
Right away
- Call for heating repair and run through basic checks: thermostat, furnace switch, breaker, filter.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so room air reaches the pipes.
- Let faucets drip, hot and cold, on fixtures along outside walls. Moving water is slower to freeze.
- Keep interior doors open so whatever warmth there is spreads evenly.
- Close the garage door if water lines run through it.
Using space heaters safely
- Plug directly into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip.
- Keep three feet of clearance from anything that can burn.
- Don’t leave them running unattended or while sleeping.
- Never heat with an oven, grill or generator indoors: carbon monoxide risk.
If a pipe freezes
- Open the faucet the pipe feeds so water can flow once it thaws.
- Warm the pipe gently with a hair dryer, heating pad or warm towels, starting near the faucet. Never use an open flame.
- Know where your main water shut-off is in case it bursts.
If a pipe bursts
Shut off the main water valve immediately, turn off the water heater, and call a plumber.
Renters
Chicago’s heat ordinance requires landlords to supply heat from September 15 through June 1. Call 311 to report no heat.
For heating repair, call (312) 924-7223. See emergency HVAC for more.