Colder weather is coming. So here’s a reminder from the folks at the Orange Water and Sewer Authority:
OWASA encourages customers to protect water pipes from freezing
With the forecast of sub-freezing temperatures for several days, OWASA
is encouraging customers to protect their water pipes from freezing.
Frozen pipes can burst and cause substantial damage if a large amount of
water is released in a home or business.
Below is a list of precautions for protecting water pipes.
• Pipes in unheated areas of a house, typically the crawl space
and/or basement, have the greatest chance of freezing. Therefore, it is
important to seal openings and air leaks in the crawl space or basement,
including access doors, air vents in the foundation, and cracks.
• You can use insulation or even cardboard, plastic or newspaper to close
and seal cracks and other openings- just keep the cold out as much as
possible. Your foundation air vents may have hinged covers so the vents
can easily be closed.
• Insulate pipes in unheated parts of your home.
• Leave a trickle of water running continuously from the faucet
highest in the house. The trickle should be a steady stream the size of
a pencil tip, which will only cost a few cents to leave running
overnight.
• OWASA strongly supports and encourages conservation. But with water
supplies adequate at this time of year, using a very small amount of
water to help prevent pipes from freezing and bursting is a good
precaution. Broken water pipes can cause substantial water loss as well
as property damage.
• Check that the cover is closed on the OWASA water meter box
for your home or business to prevent cold air from freezing water inside
the meter. If the cover of your water meter is broken or missing, please
call OWASA at 968-4421.
• If the heat fails long enough for your house or other building
to get close to freezing temperature, or if you have a vacant building
with the heat off:
• Turn off the water at the master shut-off valve in your plumbing system.
Your shut-off valve may be in the basement, crawlspace or closet where
water pipes come into the house/building. If you do not have a master
shut-off valve in your plumbing system, consider installing one when
practical for future use. (If you contact OWASA at 968-4421 to have
water shut off at our meter, there is a fee.)
Before draining pipes, turn off the water heater to ensure the lack of
water doesn’t burn out the heating elements.
Drain the pipes in your plumbing system by opening the highest and
lowest cold water faucets in your house until the water is gone.
Before turning on the hot water heater again, wait until water service
is restored and the hot water tank is refilled.