Protect your plumbing during
Take these precautions when you know the temperature is
going to drop below 32 degrees for more than 24 hours:
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•
•
•
•
Allow an outside faucet to drip slightly.
Insulate all exposed pipes and enclose crawl spaces.
Plug up drafty cracks and repair broken window panes.
Remove hoses from outside faucets and be sure they are drained and shut off.
Know how to turn off your water at the shut-off valve at your home or business in case of
an emergency.
• Keep meter box lids closed to prevent cold air from freezing at the water meter.
If you go out of town during freezing weather:
1. Turn off your hot water heater at the electric breaker panel.
2. Turn off your water at either the cutoff valve or at the water
meter.The valve (usually with a wheel-type handle) is normally
under the water faucet outside, 18 inches below the ground
and 2 feet from the house. It will usually be in line with your
water meter located near the edge of your property line near
the street.
faucet
Cutoff valve
(may be behind
shrubbery.)
water meter
water m
ain
3. Open a couple of faucets in the house to allow water sitting in the pipes to expand it if the
outside temperature is freezing.
Don’t forget to protect
your irrigation system’s
backflow preventer with
an insulated cover