Cold Weather Tips

Wrap It

Wrap exposed pipes with insulating material.  Pipes under kitchen sinks, in crawl spaces, near windows or in unheated basements are areas susceptible to freezing.

Find Your Shutoff Valve and Tag It

Locate your inside water shutoff valve now!  The shutoff valve controls all of the water into your home.  If a pipe bursts, knowing the location of your shutoff valve and how to turn it off can save valuable time and prevent water damage. Our video helps you find the water shutoff valve.

The shutoff valve may be located in the basement, under the kitchen sink, in a utility closet, near the hot water heater, or even under the house in a crawl space. If you cannot locate or do not have a shutoff valve, call your plumber.

Try turning off your shutoff valve. Then turn on each of the faucets in your house. If no water comes out, you found the main shutoff valve. Once you locate the main shutoff valve, tag it so everyone in your family can find it should an emergency occur.

Louisville Water offers free, waterproof tags that attach to the valve. Customers can request one at Louisville Water’s downtown office: 550 South Third Street. You can also use a bright-colored ribbon.

Cover It

If your house has a crawl space, cover the outside vents to prevent winter winds from entering and freezing pipes.

Close It

Keep the garage door closed if you have a slab foundation. Some water pipes are located under concrete floors in the garage.

Drip It

Keep the water running, especially if you’ve had problems with frozen pipes in the past. Try running a small steady stream of water from a cold-water faucet in extremely cold weather. The cost of the water is small compared to dealing with the cost and inconvenience of frozen or burst pipes. Make sure you run the water from a faucet children don’t use because they may inadvertently turn off the faucet after using it.

Louisville Water maintains over 4,200 miles of water main throughout its distribution system. In addition, the company is responsible for more than 24,000 public fire hydrants. Prior to the winter season, crews train in winter safety procedures, winterize fire hydrants, and adjust the company’s inventory to prepare for any cold weather issues with water mains.