Cold Weather Tips

The following tips are offered to help prevent your water pipes from freezing during winter weather and freezing temperatures.

Close all foundation vents – this will stop the cold winter wind from blowing into around, and beneath your house. Not only will this keep your pipes from freezing, but also your floors will be warmer. Failure to close the foundation vents is probably the single greatest cause of frozen or split water lines.
If you have a kitchen sink or bathroom fixtures located so that the outside wall faces north or strong winter winds, let a faucet drip during cold weather conditions. The small cost of the dripping water during very cold weather will be minimal when compared to the cost of repairing a frozen or split pipe. Leave cupboard doors open so pipes within those cupboards are exposed to interior heat.
Wrap exposed water lines – outside faucets, under the house, in the walls, and in the attic. Newspapers make an economical pipe wrapping. Lay the newspaper flat, then roll around the pipes one or two inches thick and tape, making sure the tape overlaps itself. On pipe elbows, angles, etc. wad the paper, wrap and tape. Near the ground or floor, push the paper rolls tight.
If you are going to gone for any length of time, shut off all your water at the water main shut-off valve (your side), or you may want to call us to turn the water off at the meter. Turn on all the faucets and flush the toilets to drain pipes and allow for expansion.
Insulate your water meter – remove the lid and fill with any type of insulation material (bark mulch and styrofoam "peanuts" work best.

IF THINGS DO FREEZE DESPITE ALL YOUR PRECAUTIONS:

If your pipes are frozen, assume they are broken or split at some point. Have some repair clamps ready when they thaw, and know how to shut off the water in a hurry!

Use hair dryers, heat lamps, or electric heaters to thaw the lines.

Don’t Use An Open Flame To Thaw Pipes! This may appear to be the most rapid way, but it presents a tremendous fire hazard.