(ABC 6 News) – With the temperatures dropping, there are many concerns that come to mind, one of those being the potential for frozen pipes. Whether you live in a new/old home, apartment or mobile home, frozen pipes can become an issue this time of year.

Trent Martin, Lead Tech Service Plumber at Tonna Mechanical, says “We’ve already has a few houses with frozen pipes in it, just because of the cold wind and colder temperatures.”

The primary reason for frozen pipes in homes is that the piping itself is not being exposed to enough warmth to prevent the water inside of the pipe from freezing in the house itself. This can result in a complete loss of water from sinks, toilets, showers and tubs. If enough pressure builds up behind the freeze in a pipe, it can lead to a pipe burst.

“A lot of the issues that we see though, are just the lack of heat around water meters and internal plumbing” says Todd Blomstrom, Director of Water at Rochester Public Utilities.

Michelle Oaks, property manager as Hallmark Terrace Mobile Home Park, has already experienced firsthand what a burst pipe can cause. “We have a very, it’s like a city block long retaining wall, umm and the water was going through that, there was so much water from this burst and very quickly, and into the homes below.”

There are plenty of preventative measures one can take to prevent pipes from freezing during the fall and winter. Winterizing your home during the fall, whether it be draining your outdoor hose to putting heat tape on exposed pipes, can limit your chances of having to deal with high expenses due to damages and repairs.

Other techniques to keep your pipes from freezing during the winter include knowing where your water is coming from and keeping any cold air drafts away from these pipes. Trent says that cold air drafts from between floors in a house are common reasons for frozen pipes. Keeping cabinet doors open is another way to keep cold air away from pipes, as it prevents cold air from building up in the cabinet itself.

In the event that frozen pipes become an issue, there are plenty of plumbers around the area that can help with fixing plumbing issues related to frozen pipes. Property managers around the area, like Michelle, strongly encourage residents to take extra time to prepare for colder weather beforehand, to avoid running into issues later on.

“Crawling underneath, in the wet, repairing things is much more expensive than doing your due diligence, maintenance, checking things in the fall.” says Michelle.