Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Mason advises checking your home and close off any vents or open areas to your home's crawl space. Wind getting on your pipes combined with the extremely cold temperatures will lead to frozen pipes very quickly.

For the long term, add insulation to attics, basements, and crawl spaces. Insulation will maintain higher temperatures in those areas. And to prevent drafts, seal cracks and openings around windows, doors, and at sill plates, where the house rests on its foundation.

Mason advises letting the cold water drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe—even at a trickle—helps prevent pipes from freezing. He also recommends checking for to make sure your tub or sink is not plugged to avoid a water overrun giving you a very wet floor.

If a pipe has broken, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve, which is usually at the water meter or where the main line enters the house. If the water is still running and no pipes have burst, you can take the following steps. (Of course, if you suspect a more serious problem, call a plumber.)