It's coast-to-coast cold. As this article is being written "black ice" on roadways is being reported in almost every state. When the water on our roads turns to ice, the next freeze could be the water in our pipes.

Not always, but often, water pipes rupture when the water in them freezes. This is because water expands as it freezes. Sometimes the expansion causes the surrounding pipe to expand as well. Other times the water expansion can be so great that it actually expands the pipe until it splits. You don't want to have to deal with a broken water line on a freezing cold winter day or night.

If water won't come out of a tap when you turn it on, chances are the water in the pipes has frozen. If this should happen, immediately turn on all of your faucets, inside and outside. Turning on every tap allows warmer underground water into the system as the ice blockage is defrosted.

If it isn't already too late, you'll need to act quickly to prevent pipe damage. The ice blockage must be eliminated before it expands to a damaging size. The first thing is to start the defrosting process. Grab a hot air gun or a portable propane torch and start heating the water within the pipes. Start where the main water inlet pipe comes out of the ground.

You can easily burn your house down in the dead of winter in sub-freezing temperatures. Be sure to take precautions if your chosen defrosting tool is a torch.

Better yet, try to prevent the freezing from taking place in the first place. Following are a few tips that will reduce the chance of freezing and help to keep water running in your pipes all through the winter:

1) A faucet left dripping at the fixture farthest from the main water inlet will allow just enough warm water movement within the pipes to reduce the chance of a freeze. Even though it is cold, during the winter the water coming in from deep below ground is usually warmer than the water above ground. This warmer cold water moving in the pipes makes it much more difficult for a freeze.

2) Insulating above-ground pipes those that are most susceptible to freezing will prevent them from freezing during most moderate to medium chills, even when faucets are off. This includes pipes in the subarea or basement and especially any that might be in the attic. Water finds its own level. A pipe that bursts in the subarea is no joy to experience or repair. But, a pipe that bursts in the attic can destroy a substantial portion of your home before the repair is made, especially if no one is there when it occurs.

Pipe insulation is commonly available in various lengths from about three to six feet. All you have to do is open the slit along its length and push it onto the pipe. However, it is better to tape around it every two feet or so with duct tape to hold everything in place.

3) If you are in an area where temperatures frequently drop below freezing, think about purchasing pipe heaters. They are easy to install, inexpensive to operate and can save a lot of heartache. Pipe heaters plug into a standard outlet and are thermostatically controlled. All you have to do is wrap a wire around your water pipes. The heater does the rest.

CAUTION: Do not insulate pipes that have pipe heating wires wrapped around them without first getting the approval of the company that manufactures the pipe heater.