With freezing temperatures forecasted for our area starting Thursday and lasting throughout the weekend and possibly into next week there is a good chance that unprotected water pipes will freeze. When this happens, you may experience only the annoyance of interrupted water service until the water in the pipes thaw. Unfortunately, for a few, the water line may rupture and cause property damage and require plumbing repairs.

There are several preventive measures that can reduce your chances of having your water lines freeze.

• Shut off the outside water valve, disconnect water hoses and drain water from pipes, via an open faucet.
• Allow a trickle of hot and cold water to drip. The cost of the wasted water is small compared to the damage from frozen pipes. CAUTION: Be certain you are not running water into a drain line that is exposed to extreme cold as that line might freeze as well.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors under sinks to allow heat from the room to circulate around un-insulated pipes.
• Heat unused rooms containing plumbing; especially if the plumbing is in a north wall.
• Insulate all pipes in areas where there is no heat, such as the garage or crawl space. Apply heat tape or thermostat-controlled heat cables around pipes that are exposed to the weather and prone to freeze. You can purchase a variety of insulating and heating devices to install on both inside and outside plumbing. Check with your local plumbing supplier for details.
• Seal any air leaks around doors and windows to reduce cold air penetration.
• If you have a problem and need our assistance, please call us at 501-776-5930 anytime. We can shut the water off in the event of an emergency to prevent further damage and to allow necessary repairs.