Pennsylvania American Water Alerts Customers to Be Winter-Ready Inside and Outside the Home
November 01 2016 - 9:57AM
Business Wire
With temperatures starting to drop and a frigid winter
predicted, Pennsylvania American Water today advised homeowners to
prepare now to prevent frozen and damaged household pipes.
“In 2015, we escaped a harsh winter, but early predictions
indicate we won’t be so lucky this year. We want to remind
customers that sub-freezing temperatures for an extended period can
cause pipes in vulnerable areas to freeze, burst and result in
costly damage,” said Pennsylvania American Water Vice President of
Operations Jimmy Sheridan. “By taking the proper preventive
steps before the deep chill hits, customers can avoid worrying
about frozen pipes and making expensive repairs to damaged plumbing
inside and outside of the home.”
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:
Take action now:
- Familiarize yourself with areas of your
home - such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and outside
walls - most susceptible to freezing.
- 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.
Take action 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, and avoid the use of kerosene
heaters or open flames.
- Once the pipes have thawed, turn the
water back on slowly and check for cracks and leaks.
When you are away:
- Have a friend, relative or neighbor
regularly check your property to ensure that the heat is working
and the pipes have not frozen.
- Also, a freeze alarm can be purchased
for less than $100 and will call a user-selected phone number if
the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.
REPORT LEAKING PIPES
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 water utility in the state, providing
high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to
approximately 2.3 million people. Founded in 1886, American Water
is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility
company. Marking its 130th anniversary this year, the company
employs more than 6,700 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 at
www.amwater.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006193/en/
Pennsylvania American WaterEastern/Central Pennsylvania:Terry
MaenzaT: 610-670-7789 ext. 1009M:
610-849-6484terry.maenza@amwater.comorWestern Pennsylvania:Melissa
WaltersT: 724-742-3103M:
412-354-8979melissa.walters@amwater.com
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