Prepare pipes for freezing temperatures

Get prepared

• Make sure all pipes outside the house are insulated.
• Check to see that pipes in unheated parts of your home (crawl and attic spaces, under cabinets) are insulated.
• Check to be sure outside faucet washers are secure.
• Disconnect hoses from outside faucets and use insulated faucet covers to keep them from freezing.
• Keep the lid on the meter box so your meter won’t freeze.
• Make sure everyone in the household knows where the main water shut-off valve is, in case a pipe breaks and it is necessary to turn the water off in a hurry. Check this valve now to make sure it is working.
• If you must leave your house vacant for a long period, turn off your water supply at the gate valve on the resident’s side of the meter box and have a plumber do the necessary work to prepare pipes to prevent damage.
• During prolonged freezes, you may want to open all cabinet doors that contain water pipes to allow heat to enter them. You may want to place a lamp in the cabinets so the bulb can keep the area warm, but be certain no flammable materials are near it. Relocate any toxic materials so children and pets cannot get to them if cabinet doors are left open.
• Keep extra water drawn up during freezing weather in case a main break or frozen pipe cuts off your water supply.

If you have no water think it may be because of a frozen pipe

• Check your private plumbing, as it is probably frozen at the point where the pipe goes under the house or through an attic, if not insulated. Check there first.
• If a pipe is frozen, it is safest to call a plumber to handle the problem. The pipe may be cracked and will burst when thawed. If an electrical appliance is used to heat the pipe, spraying water from a burst pipe could get onto it, creating the risk of electrocution.

Preparing Irrigation Systems for Freezing Temperatures

A common cause of icy roadways and sidewalks during periods of freezing temperatures is irrigation systems. Please make sure that you are not the cause of accidents, falls or injuries due to improper watering during cold weather. Check out our video guidance for winterizing your irrigation system.

Residential

Install a rain or freeze sensor. These automatic sensors will ensure the system doesn’t go off when it is raining or when the temperature falls below a threshold. Sensors can be easily added to most systems and are required for all new installations since 2007. Be sure to check the battery at regular intervals.

Turn off the irrigation system controller and at the backflow. Then turn on the zone closest to the backflow to depressurize the main line. If necessary, run the system manually from November through February. In the spring and fall, one inch is needed every 10 to 15 days and every 15-20 days in the winter, if at all. Be sure to check the battery on the controller as part of your winterization.

Adjust sprinkler heads as needed. Make sure the intended area is being watered, rather than the driveway, street or sidewalks, which can cause dangerous ice conditions when temperatures fall.

Commercial

Rain and freeze sensors are required on all commercial irrigation systems. An annual inspection of rain and freeze sensors is required and it can be done in conjunction with the annual backflow inspection.

Turn off the irrigation system controller and at the backflow. Then turn on the zone closest to the backflow to depressurize the main line. If necessary, run the system manually from November through February. In the spring and fall, one inch is needed every 10 to 15 days and every 15-20 days in the winter, if at all. Be sure to check the battery on the controller as part of your winterization.

Adjust sprinkler heads as needed. Make sure the intended area is being watered, rather than the driveway, street or sidewalks, which can cause dangerous ice conditions when temperatures fall.

Fire sprinkler system pipes in commercial buildings have been known to burst in freezing weather. The pipes are generally in unheated areas.

If freezing temperatures are expected, leave the heat on in the building overnight or on weekends to try to prevent these pipes from rupturing.

Older fire suppression systems may not have a shut-off valve the customer can access. In these cases, call the water utility's emergency number (817-392-4477, select option1) so a crew can be dispatched to shut the valve feeding your fire line. 

Why cold weather can cause main breaks 

When air temperatures remain below freezing long enough to chill the water supply, the water utility is likely to experience large numbers of water main breaks. It is the water temperature and not the air temperature that is the key factor.

Unlike residential plumbing, the major water mains do not break because they are frozen. They break because the pipes are buried underground and are relatively warm. When the cold water flows through them, the difference in temperature between the main and surrounding ground and the cold water causes the main to rupture.

The water mains sometimes begin breaking when the water temperature reaches about 42 degrees.  It usually takes extended days of subfreezing air temperatures with no sunshine for the water temperature to drop to the point it becomes a problem. 

The more rapidly the water temperature drops, the more likely main breaks will be triggered.

 Th breaks are more common in the older, cast-iron pipes. Although cast-iron pipes are no longer installed, a large number of these pipes remain in the system. Newer, ductile iron and PVC pipes (which represent more than half of the pipes in the system) are less likely to break.

The situation is considered to be an emergency when the number of breaks creates a backlog that can’t be repaired within one day. At that time, crews begin working extended shifts.

Residents are asked to conserve water when large numbers of main breaks occur. Water pressures may be low because of all the lost water, and it may be difficult to maintain water pressures in certain areas if the problem becomes severe.

If you see a main break, call the 24-hour emergency line at 817-392-4477 (select option 1) immediately. 

Things not to do

• Don’t assume your neighbor called. We would rather get multiple calls about a break than no calls.
• Don't use e-mail to report main breaks. E-mail is not constantly monitored and could cause a delayed response.