Residents across New Jersey should be prepared with tips on how to make sure their heating and plumbing are at their best during this time of the year, as the dangerous and bitter cold moves through the state.

Expansion and contraction caused by the cold weather can create leaks in water pipes. Mark Lindsay from Mark Lindsay and Son Plumbing & Heating, Inc. has been in the business of plumbing for 40 years, and he says it’s all about preparation and looking for red flags in the home when it comes to getting ready for the cold.

"They just have to make sure they don't forget about their appliances and stuff,” says Lindsay. “Check their utility rooms. Check their main shut off valves. You know, just make sure everything's cleaned up around them. Make sure they have propane in their propane tanks if they have propane. Oil in their oil tanks, because during the cold weather sometimes the automatic deliveries aren't on the spot, so you really have to check that stuff."

Lindsay also says pipes freeze most frequently when there's a lot of wind associated with cold weather penetrating crawl spaces and openings in the home, so it's important to keep the home as air tight as possible.