West Virginia American Water Reminds Customers to Prepare Their Homes for Winter to Prevent Frozen Pipes
December 07 2017 - 12:25PM
Business Wire
Simple, preventative measures can prevent
frustrating and costly repairs later
With the onset of freezing temperatures this week and lows in
the teens and 20s forecasted into the weekend, West Virginia
American Water is advising homeowners to take simple steps to help
prevent household pipes from freezing.
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West Virginia American Water tips on
preparing your home for winter (Graphic: Business Wire)
“There are a number of simple and cost-effective ways our
customers can protect vulnerable areas of their homes to avoid
frozen pipes that can burst and result in costly damage,” said West
Virginia American Water President Brian
Bruce. “Protecting your home against the cold helps
save on energy bills and safeguards your plumbing against the
threat of breaks.”
Property owners are responsible for maintenance of the water
service line from the curb to the house, as well as any in-home
piping. West Virginia American Water encourages residents to take
the following precautions to reduce the risk of freezing and
bursting pipes:
Before the cold sets in:
- Familiarize yourself with areas of your
home most susceptible to freezing, such as basements, crawl spaces,
unheated rooms and exterior walls.
- Eliminate sources of cold air near
water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing
off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts around doors.
- Turn off and fully drain sprinklers and
irrigation systems.
- Protect your pipes by wrapping exposed
pipes with insulation.
- Locate your in home main water shut-off
valve. Your December water bill includes a tag that you can hang on
the valve so everyone in your home knows its location.
When temperatures are consistently at or below
freezing:
- Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to
warmer room temperatures.
- Keep water moving through pipes by
allowing a small trickle of water to run. The cost of the extra
water is typically lower than the cost to repair a broken pipe and
remedy water damage.
- Make sure the lid to your meter pit is
closed tightly and report any problems with the lid to the
company’s customer service center at 1-800-685-8660.
- Don’t shovel snow off of your meter pit
lid – the accumulated snow acts as additional insulation.
If your pipes freeze:
- Shut off the water immediately at your
in home main water shut-off valve. Don’t attempt to thaw frozen
pipes unless the water is shut off, as freezing can often cause
unseen cracks.
- Apply heat to the frozen pipe by
warming the air around it using a hair dryer, space heater or hot
water. Be sure not to leave space heaters unattended.
- Do not use kerosene heaters or open
flames to thaw pipes inside your home.
- Once the pipes have thawed, turn the
water back on slowly and check for leaks.
When you are away:
- Have a friend, relative or neighbor
regularly check your property to ensure that the heat is working
and the pipes have not frozen.
- A freeze alarm can be purchased for
less than $100 and will call a user-selected phone number if the
inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.
Visit West Virginia American Water’s Facebook page
(Facebook.com/wvamwater) to view a
video with helpful winter preparedness tips and a demonstration of
wrapping pipes with insulation.
Help report water main breaks:
West Virginia American Water also advises that sub-freezing
temperatures can hasten aging water mains to break and cause unsafe
driving conditions. If you see a leak, or your water service is
disrupted, please contact the company’s customer service center at
1-800-685-8660.
West Virginia American Water, a subsidiary of American Water
(NYSE: AWK), is the largest water utility in the state, providing
high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 550,000
people. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly
traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. The
company employs more than 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide
regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other
related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states
and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found at
www.westvirginiaamwater.com.
Connect with us: Facebook.com/wvamwater ●
Twitter.com/wvamwater ● YouTube.com/wvamwater ● Instagram:
@wvamwater
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171207005985/en/
West Virginia American WaterLaura Martin, External Affairs
ManagerOffice: 304-340-2089Mobile:
304-932-7158Laura.Martin@amwater.comwww.westvirginiaamwater.com
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