Protect Your Plumbing During Freezing Weather
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Take these precautions when you know the temperature is
going to drop below 32 degrees for more than 24 hours:
- Allow an outside faucet to drip slightly.
- Insulate all exposed pipes and enclose crawl spaces.
- Plug up drafty cracks and repair broken window panes.
- Remove hoses from outside faucets and be sure they are drained and shut off.
- Know how to turn off your water at the shut-off valve at your home or business in case of an emergency.
- Keep meter box lids closed to prevent cold air from freezing at the water meter.
If you go out of town during freezing weather:
- (1) Turn off your hot water heater at the electric breaker panel.
- (2) Turn off your water at either the cutoff valve or at the water
meter.The valve (usually with a wheel-type handle) is normally
under the water faucet outside, 18 inches below the ground
and 2 feet from the house. It will usually be in line with your
water meter located near the edge of your property line near
the street.
- (3) Open a couple of faucets in the house to allow water sitting in the pipes to expand it if the
outside temperature is freezing.
Don't forget to protect your irrigation system's back-flow preventer with an insulated cover
