Today is officially the first day of winter and as temperatures are expected to dip below freezing in the coming weeks, home owners need to take necessary precautions to avoid frozen pipes.
Knox Water Department Superintendent Todd Gardner has a few helpful tips to help protect homes this winter season. Superintendent Gardner reported that most incidents happen at the beginning of the season since people don’t take these simple steps before cold weather hits.
His first tip is to be sure that all hoses are disconnected and outdoor faucets are turned off. He said even “frost-free” faucets can freeze and break if they’re not disconnected and completely switched off. He also stressed the importance of making sure that crawlspace doors and other openings are securely shut to keep drafts from entering the home and cooling the water pipes.
The superintendent also mentioned that snow can actually act as a good insulator so if it is left over areas where water lines and meter pits are located those pipes will be less likely to freeze. He also advised individuals to avoid driving over areas where meter pits are located as that can cause frost to reach deeper.
Additionally, the superintendent said that it will not be necessary to lightly run faucets until we face extremely cold temperatures.
Gardner encouraged citizens to keep an eye out for any potential problems that could damage city water lines,
“If you happen to notice a lid missing or anything like that, in the winter time we have a lot of boxes that get hit in different areas and meter covers get hit from time to time,” Gardner went on to say, “so if you happen to see one exposed just call City Hall and we can get out and fix it right way”
Gardner said to also contact Knox City Hall if there are any residential water-line emergencies. There is an after-hours automated prompt that will direct you to the water department.
If you’re unable to reach anyone through the after-hours number, Gardner said to contact the Starke County Sheriff’s Office and someone from the water department will be notified and sent out to fix the problem as soon as possible.
