Before Cold Weather Hits

Water Shut Off Valve

• Know the location of your water shut-off valve and test it regularly.
• If a pipe breaks, you won't want to have to find it then or worse, wait for someone to arrive at your place to find it for you. In most single-family homes, the shut-off valve is in the basement or the crawl space, on a wall facing the meter box.
• Make sure everyone in your home knows how to shut off water supplies.
• Quickly shutting off water may prevent expensive water damage if a pipe breaks.

Accessibility

• Keep your meter pit and curb stop valve accessible.
• If you cannot operate your shut-off valve inside the building, you may need to have your plumber or Ogden City Water turn off the water at the valve near the street.

System Shut Off

• Turn off and drain automatic and manual sprinkler systems before first freeze.
  • The alternate freezing and thawing of water in the system can create cracks and weak spots, triggering silent underground leaks or mini-geysers in your watering system.
• Turn off outdoor faucets and be sure to disconnect hoses from them.
  • Make sure the faucet and the outside portion of the pipes are fully drained. A valve inside many houses will shut off the water's flow; then open and close the tap outside to release any water in the pipe. Disconnect the hose to ensure that freeze-proof faucets will drain and to avoid damage to the hose from freezing water.

Winterize

• Winterize unheated or vacant buildings.
  • Significant property damage and water loss can occur before burst pipes are discovered in vacant buildings. If your vacant building has a fire protection system, make sure there is no danger that the water servicing this system might freeze.
• Insulate water pipes that may be vulnerable to the cold or have caused problems before.
  • Pipes close to exterior walls or in unheated basements can be wrapped with pieces of insulation. Don't overlook pipes near windows, which can quickly freeze.