Reminder to turn this off in NJ before winter truly takes hold

Winters in New Jersey can be brutal. Sometimes that relentless cold weather will last for only a few weeks, while other years it's for the entire season.

The winter of 2022-2023, however, was by far an exception to this when it came to brutal cold. Yes, we saw extremely cold air around Christmas, but the majority of the season was downright mild.

But that's also where the example of brutal cold arriving for only a week or two comes from. Despite the mild nature of that New Jersey winter as a whole, we still dealt with intense cold at times.

So while some seasons may be more brutal than others, one thing's for sure. If homeowners aren't ready, it could lead to a costly mistake.

Take plumbing, for example. When temperatures drop to extreme levels, that increases the odds of a pipe burst.

It's the reason why homeowners are encouraged to let their faucets drip in the winter when the mercury drops well below freezing. That helps relieve pressure, which in turn, helps prevent pipes from bursting.

This is especially important when pipes are more exposed to the cold, such as the ones that run within the exterior walls of the house. If a blast of brutally cold air is approaching New Jersey, it's best to let those faucets drip.

However, it's also important to not forget about those outside faucets as they're even more prone to bursting if forgotten about.

Since most people don't use outside faucets during the winter, it's usually a smart idea to turn them off completely for the season. Kill the water flowing to them from the master feed and leave the outside spigot at least slightly open.

By doing that, you're ensuring water won't freeze and expand in that pipe and thus significantly reduce the risk of a pipe bursting or the spigot or outside faucet getting damaged.

But what if you need to have water flowing to the outside year-round? For one reason or another, some homeowners don't have a choice.

And if you're one of those homeowners, remember the drip rule that applies to inside faucets. If temperatures should get extremely cold, let the outside faucet also drip.

It may lead to a giant icicle hanging from the faucet, but it also helps relieve that pressure. Or, you can simply close it up from the inside as mentioned above.

Just make sure not to forget about outside faucets around the home. If extremely cold air is expected to hit the Garden State, be proactive and take care of those outside faucets before it becomes a costly mistake.