Prepare for Winter Weather

Winter weather can mean trouble for your home's water pipes. When water in your pipes freezes, it expands, putting a lot of pressure on the pipe wall. This can cause your pipes to burst, leaving you without water and a potentially hefty repair bill. Luckily, you can take steps to protect your plumbing from the winter chill, before and even after a freeze event.

1. Before Cold Weather Sets In - most of what you can do to protect your plumbing from winter weather is preventative:

• Shut off and drain any outdoor hoses, sprinklers, and irrigation systems before temperatures plummet.
• Wrap your pipes in insulation or pipe sleeves
• Find your main water valve and ensure you can turn it off. Your water main might be in your basement or under a metal cover in your yard near the street.
• Close off crawl spaces, seal any holes, and ensure all the pipes in your home are protected from outside air.

2. When Freezing Temps Arrive - protect your pipes by keeping them warm and keeping water moving through them:

• Open cabinet and vanity doors to ensure your pipes are the same temperature as the interior of the house
• Set your home's thermostat at 55 degrees F or higher
• Let a small trickle run from your faucet - moving water can't freeze in one place.

3. If Your Pipes Freeze - if water freezes in your pipes there might still be something you can do to protect them:

• Immediately shut off the main water valve to your home.*
• Slowly thaw pipes with a blow dryer or a small space heater. Never warm pipes with an open flame. 
• After the water in the pipe is thawed, slowly turn the water back on and carefully inspect your pipes and joints for leaks.

*Water mains might be in a basement or under a metal cover in the yard near the street. In the event of a burst pipe, residents should not call 911 for assistance. Residents can contact the ACCGov Public Utilities Department at 706-613-3495 or 706-613-3481 (after hours) if they need assistance with turning off the water main at the meter. Residents living in multi-family complexes should contact their management company for assistance. 

ACCGov has created a webpage at www.accgov.com/weather as a clearinghouse for updated information about storm effects on Athens-Clarke County and local responses and resources.