Virginia American Water Provides Winter Tips To Prevent Frozen Pipes
Dateline City:
ALEXANDRIA, Va.
ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Every winter, thousands of homeowners in the Metro-DC area lose water
service due to frozen pipes or frozen meters. As the saying goes, “an
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Virginia American Water
therefore offers area homeowners the following tips to make sure their
homes are prepared for winter weather, as well as to ensure access to
fire hydrants for public safety.
“It may be warm now, but the frigid air will arrive soon so we want to
remind customers that sub-freezing temperatures can cause pipes in
vulnerable areas to freeze and burst, resulting in costly damage,”
Virginia American Water President Barry Suits said. “Many property
owners may not realize they are responsible for maintenance of the water
service line from the curb to the house, as well as any in-home piping,
so by taking the proper steps now, customers can avoid the expense and
inconvenience of damaged plumbing inside and outside of the home.”
Before frigid weather sets in:
-
Know the location of your main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes
or bursts, shut the water off immediately.
-
Protect your pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation
or use electrical heat tracing wire — follow manufacturer instructions
closely to avoid a fire hazard. For outside meters, keep the lid to
the meter pit closed tightly and let any snow that falls cover it.
Snow acts as insulation, so don’t disturb it.
-
Know which areas in your home, such as basements, crawl spaces,
unheated rooms and outside walls, are most vulnerable.
-
Eliminate cold air sources near water lines by repairing broken
windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating
drafts near doors.
When temperatures are consistently at or below freezing:
-
Allow a small trickle of water from both your cold and hot water
faucets to run overnight to keep pipes and meters from freezing. The
cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken
pipe. Replacing a water meter can also cost more than $100. Customers
should implement wise water use practices and collect the running
water for later use.
-
Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help
keep them from freezing, although be careful to not create a tripping
hazard.
If your pipes do freeze:
-
Shut your water off immediately. Don’t attempt to thaw frozen pipes
unless the water is shut off, as freezing can often cause unseen
cracks in pipes or joints.
-
Apply heat to frozen pipe by warming the air around it or applying
heat directly to the pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space heater or
hot water. Be sure to not leave space heaters unattended and avoid the
use of kerosene heaters or open flames.
-
Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check
for cracks and leaks.
If you are going to be away from your home for more than a few days:
-
Have a friend, relative or neighbor regularly check your property to
ensure that the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.
-
Also, 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.
In addition to pipes indoors, customers can help protect their own and
their neighbors’ homes by keeping fire hydrants clear of snow.
Substantial snow accumulations combined with the after-effects of
plowing roads and parking lots can leave fire hydrants partially or
completely buried in snow. Clearing hydrants can help firefighters
easily locate them and access water quickly, saving valuable time to
possibly save lives and structures.
Also be sure that your water service provider and other utility
companies have the correct phone number to reach you in an emergency.
Virginia American Water customers can manage their account information
online at My H2O Online at www.amwater.com/myh2o.
Customers should also consider following their utility service providers
on social media as well to get the latest updates on their computer or
smartphone. For more tips and information, visit or follow us at www.facebook.com/vaamwater
and www.twitter.com/vaamwater.
Virginia 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 services to approximately 339,000 people
in Alexandria, Dale City, Hopewell and the Northern Neck. Founded in
1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse
publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. Headquartered
in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs 6,800 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 at www.amwater.com.
Language:
English
Contact:
Virginia American Water
Samantha Villegas, 571-577-7477
samantha@savipr.com
Ticker Slug:
Ticker: AWK Exchange: NYSE
@vaamwater
It's warm now, but is your home winter ready?
ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Every winter, thousands of homeowners in the Metro-DC area lose water service due to frozen pipes or frozen meters. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Virginia American Water therefore offers area homeowners the following tips to make sure their homes are prepared for winter weather, as well as to ensure access to fire hydrants for public safety.
“It may be warm now, but the frigid air will arrive soon so we want to remind customers that sub-freezing temperatures can cause pipes in vulnerable areas to freeze and burst, resulting in costly damage,” Virginia American Water President Barry Suits said. “Many property owners may not realize they are responsible for maintenance of the water service line from the curb to the house, as well as any in-home piping, so by taking the proper steps now, customers can avoid the expense and inconvenience of damaged plumbing inside and outside of the home.”
Before frigid weather sets in:
- Know the location of your main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes or bursts, shut the water off immediately.
- Protect your pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation or use electrical heat tracing wire — follow manufacturer instructions closely to avoid a fire hazard. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed tightly and let any snow that falls cover it. Snow acts as insulation, so don’t disturb it.
- Know which areas in your home, such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and outside walls, are most vulnerable.
- Eliminate cold air sources near water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts near doors.
When temperatures are consistently at or below freezing:
- Allow a small trickle of water from both your cold and hot water faucets to run overnight to keep pipes and meters from freezing. The cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken pipe. Replacing a water meter can also cost more than $100. Customers should implement wise water use practices and collect the running water for later use.
- Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing, although be careful to not create a tripping hazard.
If your pipes do freeze:
- Shut your water off immediately. Don’t attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off, as freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints.
- Apply heat to frozen pipe by warming the air around it or applying heat directly to the pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Be sure to not leave space heaters unattended and avoid the use of kerosene heaters or open flames.
- Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks and leaks.
If you are going to be away from your home for more than a few days:
- Have a friend, relative or neighbor regularly check your property to ensure that the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.
- Also, 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.
In addition to pipes indoors, customers can help protect their own and their neighbors’ homes by keeping fire hydrants clear of snow. Substantial snow accumulations combined with the after-effects of plowing roads and parking lots can leave fire hydrants partially or completely buried in snow. Clearing hydrants can help firefighters easily locate them and access water quickly, saving valuable time to possibly save lives and structures.
Also be sure that your water service provider and other utility companies have the correct phone number to reach you in an emergency. Virginia American Water customers can manage their account information online at My H2O Online at www.amwater.com/myh2o. Customers should also consider following their utility service providers on social media as well to get the latest updates on their computer or smartphone. For more tips and information, visit or follow us at www.facebook.com/vaamwater and www.twitter.com/vaamwater.
Virginia 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 services to approximately 339,000 people in Alexandria, Dale City, Hopewell and the Northern Neck. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. Headquartered in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs 6,800 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 at www.amwater.com.
Virginia American Water
Samantha Villegas, 571-577-7477
samantha@savipr.com
It's warm now, but is your home winter ready?