Tips to Prevent Frozen Water Pipes During Cold Weather
With even colder temperatures in the forecast, Kentucky American Water reminds customers of a few tips they can take to help prevent their homes’ water pipes from freezing. When temperatures are consistently at or below freezing customers should:
Make certain that garden hoses are disconnected from the house.
- Know the location of their main water shut-off valve, which you will need to use if a pipe freezes. This valve is often located in a utility room, closet or in the basement or crawlspace.
- Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts near doors.
- Allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. The cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken pipe. Customers are encouraged to capture the water and use it to water indoor plants and more.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing.
If pipes freeze, customers should:
- Shut off the water immediately using the main water shut-off valve. Do not attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off.
- Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to a pipe via a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Don’t leave space heaters unattended and avoid kerosene heaters or open flames.
- Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks
and leaks.
Kentucky American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately half a million people. For more information, visit www.kentuckyamwater.com and follow Kentucky American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
About American Water
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable, and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
With even colder temperatures in the forecast, Kentucky American Water reminds customers of a few tips they can take to help prevent their homes’ water pipes from freezing. When temperatures are consistently at or below freezing customers should:
Make certain that garden hoses are disconnected from the house.
- Know the location of their main water shut-off valve, which you will need to use if a pipe freezes. This valve is often located in a utility room, closet or in the basement or crawlspace.
- Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts near doors.
- Allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. The cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken pipe. Customers are encouraged to capture the water and use it to water indoor plants and more.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing.
If pipes freeze, customers should:
- Shut off the water immediately using the main water shut-off valve. Do not attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off.
- Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to a pipe via a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Don’t leave space heaters unattended and avoid kerosene heaters or open flames.
- Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks
and leaks.
Kentucky American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately half a million people. For more information, visit www.kentuckyamwater.com and follow Kentucky American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
About American Water
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable, and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.