Avoid Cold Weather Damage: Protecting Your Plumbing

Homeowners can take some simple precautions to prevent the inconvenience and expense of frozen water pipes.

• Don’t turn the heat down too low in the basement.
• Fill holes in doors, windows and walls near meters and pipes. Ensure that the crawl spaces are sealed tight.
• Be sure that heat can circulate around the water meter and pipes.  A water meter and pipes in or on outside walls, in a cabinet that is not insulated or in an enclosed area can freeze if heat cannot circulate through the area.  This is especially true when wind-chill factors drop below zero.
• Insulate pipes that have frozen in the past or that may be exposed to freezing temperatures.  Check insulation for dampness.  Wet insulation is worse than no insulation at all.
• Be sure meter vault covers are not cracked. If the meter is installed outside the home, it is housed inside a covered vault. Please check to be sure that the vault cover is not cracked and is secure. Otherwise, the meter may freeze.
• For homes that do not have indoor shut-off valves for outside spigots, winterize the spigots by purchasing insulation kits, also referred to as domes or caps.

If pipes do freeze, the Authority suggests the following first steps for plumbing:

•  If water is leaking from a burst pipe, use the valve where the water enters the home to shut off the water.  Then shut those valves leading to the leaking pipes and re-open the main valve.  The homeowner can either repair the burst pipe or call a plumber

If water does not come out of the faucet:

• Start with the faucet that does not have water, and work backwards until reaching one that does have water. The frozen pipes are probably between these two faucets.  If you have no water throughout your entire house, call the Authority’s Customer Service Department at 203-562-4020, and we’ll determine if the meter is frozen.
• Leave open the faucets that do not have water.
• Try to thaw the pipes by first turning up the air temperature and try to increase air circulation around frozen pipes.  Never apply heat directly to a frozen pipe. 

A Word About Water Main Breaks

Extreme cold weather can force frost deeper into the soil, causing the ground to shift, triggering a water main break. Sometimes it is the combination of the extreme cold along with the age of the water pipe that causes the fracture. Either way, a break in the street disrupts customers.

Water main breaks are serious and receive our immediate attention. When they occur, crews respond quickly to make the repair and restore water service. Depending on the type of break, the water may be turned off. The Authority makes every effort to notify residents before this happens. A water main break usually takes four to six hours to repair.

When the naturally-formed scale on the interior of the piping system is disturbed, some water discoloration may occur immediately after the water is turned back on. Our crews work to clear this condition quickly. After a severe water main break, this discoloration may last for several hours. During this time, reduce your water usage, especially hot water. This will limit the storage of discolored water in your water heater and help prevent staining of fixtures or any clothing in your washer.

If you notice water bubbling up through the ground, a wet area appearing during dry weather or a sudden loss of water pressure within a service area, please call 203-562-4020.