CINCINNATI (WXIX) - With the coldest air of the season expected to arrive in the Tri-State starting Sunday, FOX19 NOW went to some experts to get advice that can prevent problems at your home.

There are precautions you can take to keep your heating and plumbing running. Problems can arise, experts say, if you don't.

One piece of advice experts say is to keep your cabinets open so heat can reach your pipes.

"We've seen a decent amount of service requests come in and we're really expecting a lot more to come with the weather that's coming," says Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling & Plumbing general manager Adam Hanekamp.

Winter is a busy time of year for many technicians with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

"We start to see a lot of frozen pipe calls, burst pipes, outside hydrants not operating," Hanekamp explains. "They're busted due to being left open to the cold air. We also see a lot more water heater leaks because the temperature of the water coming in is a shock to the system. So, those are a lot of the calls that we're seeing."

Here are some precautions you can take to try to avoid any problems:

If you find yourself dealing with frozen pipes, experts say you can try to apply heat yourself by using a hair dryer or heat gun to thaw pipes, but be cautious when doing so.

"Just be very careful when you're doing that," advises Hanekamp. "You don't want to apply a blow torch or anything like that to it. That is a danger to your house because you don't want to catch your house on fire and that high heat can make the pipe expand more rapidly which can cause a leak a lot faster."

Another thing, Hanekamp recommends, is to have your faucet at a slow drip so water can move through the pipes to prevent them from potentially freezing.