BATON ROUGE - Local home maintenance experts gave tips on how residents can protect their homes from the upcoming severe winter weather.

Plumbers said that after last year's snow, they received many calls about frozen pipes bursting. Preparing homes now could save money after the cold passes.

Central Plumbing's Zack Payne said systems are vulnerable to the cold. Dripping faucets are essential to avoid costly damage.

"It's not just about a drip in one area of your house," Payne said. "You really want to have like a steady stream of water throughout your house."

The winter months can get busy for home maintenance workers, and after last year's snowy weather, Payne warned homeowners to prepare their homes for the cold. Payne said you can use insulation to wrap pipes, but towels and blankets work too.

Home heating systems can also be a concern during winter weather. 

Justin Singleton repairs systems and says that in the cold weather, ice builds up, and then it causes more stress on everything.

"For your system, the colder it is in your home, the more difficult it is to work more efficiently," Singleton said.

If you have pets, Singleton says it's important to change air filters before the cold.

"When those air filters get clogged, it can cause restriction to air flow and cause your system to work a lot harder," Singleton said.