Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Protect your pipes from freezing this winter
MWA customers can save time and money by winterizing their homes
With plenty of cold temperatures still on tap for Middle Georgia until the arrival of spring, the Macon Water Authority (MWA) is encouraging its customers to continue to protect outdoor pipes and irrigation systems from potentially freezing temperatures. And when warmer weather does return, be careful to "de-winterize" your homes as well.
According to sources at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, only the top two inches of ground freezes in Georgia, typically. Household components that are at ground level, such as backflow-prevention valves, may be in danger.
To prevent exposed valves, pipes, or irrigation systems from freezing, consider these tips:
• Tape them – home improvement retailers have tapes, foams, and other products available.
• Wrap them as well, with a sack or protective material.
• Drain your entire sprinkler system, as it often holds water even when inactive – especially the tips of sprinkler heads.
Additional tips for outdoor faucets and garden hoses include:
• Disconnect all garden hoses from outdoor faucets, allowing all the water in the hoses to drain.
• Store hoses in a place with consistent (warmer) temperatures. (Note: don’t handle hoses in freezing temperatures, as they may be brittle and can be damaged.)
• Shut off valves for pipes feeding faucets on the outside of the home or building. (These valves are typically on the ground level, in the crawl space or basement.)
• Open the outside faucet to make sure it drains the line feeding it.
• Should a pipe burst due to freezing or under any other circumstances, always know how to shut off your main water line servicing your home or building.
For more information on winterizing your home as a water customer, contact the Macon Water Authority at 478-464-5600, or check out our additional links on this Web site.
Media contact:
Dr. Chris Wood
770-757-1681 (cell)
jcwood@uga.edu (email)