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Tips to Prevent Frozen Water Pipes During Cold Weather

With even colder temperatures in the forecast, Kentucky American Water reminds customers of a few tips they can take to help prevent their homes’ water pipes from freezing. When temperatures are consistently at or below freezing customers should:

Make certain that garden hoses are disconnected from the house.

  • Know the location of their main water shut-off valve, which you will need to use if a pipe freezes. This valve is often located in a utility room, closet or in the basement or crawlspace.
  • Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts near doors.
  • Allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. The cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken pipe. Customers are encouraged to capture the water and use it to water indoor plants and more.
  • Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing.

If pipes freeze, customers should:

  • Shut off the water immediately using the main water shut-off valve. Do not attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off.
  • Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to a pipe via a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Don’t leave space heaters unattended and avoid kerosene heaters or open flames.
  • Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks
    and leaks.

Kentucky American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately half a million people. For more information, visit www.kentuckyamwater.com and follow Kentucky American Water on Twitter and Facebook.


Media Contacts

Susan Lancho

External Affairs Manager

859.268.6332

susan.lancho@amwater.com