With temperatures well below freezing throughout the state, Aqua Pennsylvania is issuing an urgent reminder to homeowners to take steps now to prevent their water pipes from freezing. They recommend that all homeowners take the following precautions in any unheated areas of their homes when temperatures drop below freezing:
- Wrap pipes with insulation material or heat tape. Wrap indoor water meters with a blanket. Proper and safe use of portable space heaters can also keep exposed pipes in drafty areas from freezing.
- For interior plumbing located on an outside wall such as a kitchen sink, install heat tape to the pipes beneath the sink. If no small children are in the house, open cabinet doors beneath the sink to allow the warm air in the home to reach the pipes.
- When temperatures remain near 10°F, customers may want to leave a very thin stream of water running continuously from at least one tap in their home—preferably the one farthest from the meter. The additional cost of the water is cheaper than the cost of repairing ruptured pipes.
- If a customer can locate the frozen area of a pipe, open a spigot and use a hand-held hair dryer (blow dryer) or heat tape to thaw the area. If this does not resolve the issue, contact a licensed plumber.
For additional information, please read Aqua PA's press release.