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Louisville Water is ready to manage the cold as temperatures will plunge even further this weekend. Often during a bitter cold period, customers have problems with frozen plumbing on their property. Louisville Water can’t repair private plumbing, but we can offer these proactive measures to help prevent pipes from freezing and possibly bursting.
When temperatures fall below freezing (32 degrees), it’s a good idea to take some precautions:
- Wrap exposed pipes with insulating material. You can purchase these materials from a hardware store.
- If your home has a crawl space, cover the outside vents to prevent winter winds from freezing the pipes. Remember to turn off outside faucets and disconnect garden hoses.
- If your house has a slab foundation, close the garage door. Some pipes are located under concrete floors in the garage.
In cases of extreme cold weather, Louisville Water recommends allowing cold water to drip (about the size of a pencil point) from faucets near exterior facing walls or from faucets close to pipes that are prone to freezing. This small trickle keeps water flowing through the pipes which helps prevent them from freezing. Note: It’s important to keep the amount of running water limited to a small drip. Too much water can add up over time. With that said, paying a few extra dollars a month is nothing compared to the cost and headache of a busted pipe!
You should know how to turn off the water, especially in the case of a water emergency. In most homes, the main shutoff valve is located near the hot water heater or in the basement, a crawl space, utility closet, or garage. Once you find it, tag the valve with a waterproof hanger or ribbon. Louisville Water provides free tags for customers at its downtown office on Third Street. Simply ask a customer agent when you visit us.
Louisville Water has a winter weather response plan. This includes checking inventory on materials and having multiple crews on standby. We also have a dedicated salt truck to keep the company parking lot clear for crews to navigate and to treat icy roads at emergency locations. The safety of our crews is a top priority. They take regular breaks inside heated vehicles and the larger trucks are stocked with portable heaters.
You can trust that we are doing everything we can to keep the Louisville Pure Tap® flowing!
Two more Pure Tap pro-tips:
- Remember to stay hydrated. Cold air has less humidity and that dry air can lead to dehydration. Don’t mistake “not feeling thirsty” for being properly hydrated. Fill up those water bottles with Pure Tap!
- Know your typical water usage. How many gallons of water does your household typically use? That’s helpful when you see an unexpected increase from one billing cycle to the next. We’ve made it easier to track your usage with Pure Connect℠. Pure Connect shows your water consumption trends. You can also sign up for alerts in case of unusual activity, which could indicate a leak.
