In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, Old Man Winter’s arrival may catch many in Hampton Roads off guard. While the much requested “white Christmas” is not in the forecast, temperatures are predicted to drop into the teens this weekend. The unusually early cold snap could lead to frozen pipes, overworked heating systems, and icy conditions across the region. Residents are encouraged to take action now to winterize their home and prepare for freezing temperatures.
Here’s what you can do to prevent frozen pipes and water service disruptions in your home:
- Reduce drafts. Keep doors and windows near your water pipes closed during cold weather and seal any air leaks or cracks in your crawl space or basement.
- Insulate. Pipes in unheated areas of your home (garages and crawl spaces) should be insulated. Also, replace any wet insulation, which is worse than no insulation at all.
- Disconnect and drain garden hoses and rain barrels. Packing away your garden hose will prevent damage from freezing temperatures and may decrease your chances of bursting a water pipe.
- Keep fats, oils and grease out of the drain. Keeping greasy food waste out of your drains will help to prevent clogs and sewer backups. Grease cools much faster in colder temps and improper disposal could quickly lead to a clogged sewer line and a nasty mess in your home. Can the grease and skip the disposal as you place food waste in the trash (or compost) where it belongs.
- Find your shut-off valve. In the event of a burst pipe, you don’t want to be fumbling around looking for the main water shut-off valve. Locate it ahead of time and be prepared to act in an emergency.
- Drip the faucet, but not too much. When temperatures are predicted to be in the teens or below consider leaving a trickle of water running from a single faucet at the highest level in your home. This trickle of water should be about the size of the lead in a pencil. Leaving a faucet running wide open will not provide additional insurance against a frozen water pipe, but it will waste a lot of water.
- If a pipe freezes, be cautious. Thawing a frozen pipe can be dangerous because the pipes may become damaged or cracked, releasing water under great pressure. This is especially risky if you are using heat lamps, hair dryers or other electrical means of thawing the pipe. Never use an open flame on a frozen pipe. Be sure to thaw the pipe from the direction of the faucet so that the water has a safe way to escape as it melts.
- If you lose all water service, call your provider. When all the faucets in your home stop working, it’s possible that your water meter has frozen. Your water utility service provider will need to send a technician to your home to check the meter and, if needed, correct the issue. However, the water utility does not assist with frozen pipes between the meter and your faucet so prevention is key to reducing the headache (and expense) of a frozen or burst water pipe.
Stay warm, Hampton Roads!