CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- As temperatures across the Chicago area begin to fall, the risk of a particular problem in your home is on the rise.
It happens every year: frozen pipes wrecking havoc on local homeowners.
"Just imagine opening up a garden hose inside your house," said Justin Carrol, president of Perfect Home Services in Aurora.
As water freezes, it expands and can seriously damage pipes in the process, Carrol explained.
"Typically, you don't realize it until it starts to warm up a bit and that frozen pipe starts to thaw," he said. "It exposes that area that has been broken or damaged and then you have water that just starts flooding into your house."
He said one of the best ways to protect your home is ensuring the heating system is ready for winter.
Another way is knowing where your main water shut-off valve is located, and that it's operational.
"The best time to know whether that thing's working or not is at a time when you don't need it," Carrol said. "If it doesn't and water is flowing in, you could be waiting anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours for your city to get to your home and shut the water off."
Other tips include insulating your home and piping, and allowing cold water to drip from faucets on occasion.