By taking a few simple preventative measures, Aqua Ohio says homeowners can save time, money, and prevent the frustration caused by frozen or broken pipes.
Throughout the House
- Know the areas that are most vulnerable to freezing such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and along outside walls.
- Repair cracks in your foundation, windows and other sources of drafts that let warm air out and cold in.
- Wrap un-insulated pipes that pass through unheated spaces with heat tape or pipe insulation available at hardware stores. If you’ve installed heat tape in the past, this is a good time to make sure it is working and installed correctly.
At the Shut-off Valve
- Make sure everyone in your house knows where your main water shut-off valve is and make sure it is working properly.
- Occasional shut-off valve drips are common and can usually be fixed by tightening the packing nut just below the handle.
- If no one will be home for an extended period of time consider turning your main valve off altogether and drain your system. That way, if your furnace quits working, there will be no water in your pipes to freeze.
Other Areas
- Close the valves supplying your outside faucets and drain the pipes or have frost-free spigots installed.
- Turn off and drain irrigation systems.
- Keep water heater temperature around 120 degrees to save energy and install inexpensive low flow shower heads and other water saving devices. This is also a good time to drain a few gallons from your hot water heater to maximize efficiency and keep it running longer.
Customers who would like to read “Water Smart” tips on water use should visit the Customer Service section of the AQUA Ohio Website at www.aquaamerica.com.
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