Warning issued on pipe freezes

Water freezes at 32 degrees, and Kansas City temperatures are well below that this week.

Know where your home’s master shut-off valve is. The city owns the water meter, however the homeowner is responsible for the safe keeping of the water meter.

As the temperature continue to drop outside, it’s time to take precautionary measures inside your home to keep your pipes from freezing.

NEVER use a torch or flame to try to thaw a frozen pipe. With such cold, plumbers are busier than ever fixing frozen and broken pipes.

Hamilton also says you can open cabinet doors to let warm air in around your pipes. That includes – protecting pipes. Protect exposed pipes by wrapping them with heat tape, pre-molded foam rubber sleeves or fiberglass insulation (available from local hardware stores). “Moving water takes longer to freeze, and it’ll release pressure that’ll cause issues if it does freeze”, Hamilton said.

Leave some heat on in unused areas of your home.

If you have a basement, insulate the walls. In homes without basements it might be under a sink. This may help if your service has a history of freezing. Many of these rooms are not properly insulated and may cause freezing of home’s plumbing within the utility room.

“We put some stuff in front of our fireplace because we had some cold air come through there”, says homeowner, Angelica Theroux.

Inside water pipes located adjacent to the outside walls also should be protected to prevent freezing.

Leaving for the Winter: Follow all the tips above.

She detailed, “If you think about this, you have a pipe that breaks in the second story bathroom, and it leaks the whole way through your house, you’re talking about wet floors, wet drywall, wet carpet”. Call the city for an appointment.

The Panhandle hasn’t been above freezing since around 8 PM on Christmas Eve, presenting problems with pipes that can be avoided.