New Year’s Icy Blast Reinforces Need to Guard Against Frozen Pipes, Says Pennsylvania American Water

January 2, 2018

HERSHEY, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#coldweathertips–With arctic weather locked in place across the Commonwealth,
Pennsylvania American Water today urged homeowners to act now to prevent
frozen and damaged household pipes.

“We are experiencing extreme cold temperatures and wind chills, which
means customers should take immediate steps to protect vulnerable areas
of their homes to avoid frozen pipes that can burst and result in costly
damage,” said Pennsylvania American Water Vice President of Operations
Jimmy Sheridan.

Property owners are responsible for maintenance of the water service
line from the curb to the house, as well as any in-home piping.
Pennsylvania American Water encourages residents to take the following
precautions to reduce the risk of freezing and bursting pipes:

What to do:

  • Familiarize yourself with areas of your home most susceptible to
    freezing, such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and outside
    walls.
  • Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken
    windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating
    drafts near doors.
  • Locate your main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes or bursts,
    shut the water off immediately.
  • Protect your pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation
    or use electrical heat tracing wire; newspaper or fabric might also
    work. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed tightly
    and let any snow that falls cover it. Snow acts as insulation, so
    don't disturb it.

When temperatures are consistently at or below freezing:

  • If you have pipes that are vulnerable to freezing, 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.
  • Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help
    keep them from freezing.

If your pipes freeze:

  • Shut off the water immediately. Don't attempt to thaw frozen pipes
    unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks
    in pipes or joints.
  • Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by
    applying heat directly to a pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space
    heater or hot water. Be sure not to leave space heaters unattended.
  • Do not use kerosene heaters or open flames to thaw pipes inside your
    home.
  • Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check
    for cracks and leaks.

For more helpful tips, visit Pennsylvania American Water’s YouTube
channel (www.YouTube.com/paamwater)
and check out the Thawing Frozen Pipes video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oen0kSvqKks&t=10s.

HELP REPORT LEAKS

Pennsylvania American Water also advises that sub-freezing temperatures
can hasten aging water mains to break and cause unsafe driving
conditions. If you see a leak, or your water service is disrupted,
please contact the company’s customer service center at 1-800-565-7292.

Pennsylvania 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 2.3 million people. With a history dating back to 1886,
American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S.
publicly-traded water and wastewater utility company. The company
employs more than 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated
and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services
to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More
information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

Contacts

Pennsylvania American Water
Terry Maenza
T: 610-670-7789 ext.
1009
M: 610-849-6484
[email protected]