Thawing Pipes
A hard freeze can leave water pipes frozen solid. When temperatures climb again, the ice melts and any cracked lines start leaking, sometimes heavily, inside and outside homes and businesses. Take steps now to save water and get ready.
How to Tell If You Have a Leak
A faucet that will not run or a toilet tank that will not refill usually points to frozen pipes. Your water meter can also reveal a hidden plumbing leak. Shut off every faucet and appliance that uses water, then look at the meter: if it keeps moving while nothing is running, water is escaping somewhere.
If you think a line is frozen, the safest move is to close the main water valve to your home. That means knowing ahead of time where the valve is and how to shut it quickly if a pipe bursts. Pipes near fixtures, such as under sinks, can be warmed gently with a heat source like a hair dryer if your power is on. Keep in mind that after a freeze, plumbers may be slow to arrive because of icy roads and high demand for parts.
Note: city crews do not repair water or wastewater lines on private property. Hire a licensed plumber for those repairs.
Shutting Off Your Water
Finding the Main Shutoff Valve
Look near the curb for a covered box marked WATER. Pry up the lid with a screwdriver or a meter key, which you can buy at most hardware and home improvement stores. Work slowly: a wire connects the lid to the meter's reading device, and that connection is expensive to fix if it breaks.
Insert the meter key into the lid's lock, turn it counterclockwise, then tip the key toward the outside edge of the box to raise the lid. Watch out when you open it, because snakes, spiders (including black widows), insects and small animals sometimes take shelter inside. Again, take care not to pull the wire loose from the lid.
After you brush away any dirt or debris, you should see the meter and, on the side toward your house, the customer shutoff valve.
Closing the Valve
Depending on its design, turn the valve by hand or with the right tool. A gate valve closes when you turn it clockwise. A ball valve is open when its handle lines up with the pipe and closed when the handle sits at a right angle (90 degrees) to it.
WARNING: older valves may be worn or corroded. Turn them by hand only, and call a professional plumber if a valve will not move.
Once the water is off, you can use the meter to confirm a leak: with no water running in the house, a moving meter means a leak.
WARNING: never tamper with the city side of the shutoff or with the meter. Tampering with a meter, blocking access to it or removing it is against the law. If you are unsure about anything, call a plumber or the utility.
Can't Find Your Valve?
A trusted local plumber, or the Fredville Water Department at (555) 010-1903, can help you locate it. Your home inspection report from when you bought the property may also show where the main shutoff is.
Report a Water Leak
During regular business hours, you can report a water leak or a sewer backup through the city's online service request form. For emergencies, or outside business hours, call the 24-hour line at (555) 010-1903.
City crews can remove and thaw a frozen outdoor water meter, but they cannot thaw water or sewer lines inside or outside your home. During severe freezes, burst pipes can be widespread and no building is immune, so Water Utilities crews may take longer than usual to respond as call volumes rise.
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