The resulting repairs for burst pipes may cost you thousands of dollars, but there are some easy steps you can take to prevent that and keep pipes from freezing in the first place. By Mary H.J.

Lake Erie hasn’t frozen over yet, but that doesn’t mean your water pipes won’t freeze as temperatures sink below freezing.

Q. Like many people across the state, I lost power in a recent storm. A tree fell on the wires at my neighbor’s house. Without electricity, we have no heat, which is forced hot water. At what point ...