Preparing your home for the winter (water):

 

1. find your shutoff valve and make sure it is always readily available for use. Make sure it works! It may be the best protection you have to protect your home!

2. winterize your outdoor faucets. Purchase covers with insulation or purchase frostproof faucets

3. maintain heat inside the home to ensure interior pipes will not freeze (40-50 degrees). If you lose power for an extended time make sure you check your home (see #5 below)

4. wrap or heatwrap all exterior pipes and all pipes exposed to unheated spaces

5. the most common mistake is not checking your home AFTER a freeze. Water damage occurs after the pipes have frozen and thawed. The time to check is 2-36 hours after daytime temperatures stay above freezing

6. leaving a faucet dripping to protect against freezing only works to a degree. If you have pipes exposed outside they can still freeze

7. call the water company anytime you believe you might have damage or potential damage when a thaw occurs

8. if you do not occupy your home during the winter season arrange for a neighbor or friend to check on your house after each freeze