Winterizing

It is not too soon to start thinking about winterizing. Preparing now can prevent problems down the road. One thing that is very important to do now while the weather is good, is to be sure you know where your customer valve box is and that you know how to turn your water off. Turning your water off when you leave your mountain home, is the single biggest thing you can do to prevent water damage from frozen pipes. It is a good habit to get into any time you leave your mountain home, but it is especially important in the winter. Leaks can occur at any time of the year and sometimes go undetected for long periods of time. In freezing temperatures, pipes can freeze and possibly burst. If this happens while your water is on and you are away, you will have a real problem on your hands. Turning your water off at your customer valve can prevent these types of things from happening to you.

Other things you can do to prepare for winter is remove hoses from outside spigots and cover the spigots with faucet socks. These are inexpensive and easily obtainable. This is a simple solution that can help keep your pipes from freezing up. Insulate water pipes in crawl spaces and and basements. There are many different types of pipe insulation available so you should be able to find something that suits your situation and your budget. Remember the saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This is very true when it comes to your water. It is much easier to prevent a problem than it is to fix one after it has occured.

Many people are under the false impression that if they have a water leak or a pipe burs,t that they do not have to pay for the water that is lost. This is not true. Remember, you are responsible for every gallon of water that goes through your meter. Having a leak or a frozen pipe does not absolve you from this responsibility.

If you have any questions at all about how to winterize you water pipes, please feel free to give us a call at 951-659-2675, during normal business hours and we will be more than happy to give you some suggestions. If you cannot find your customer valve or do not know how to turn it off and on, call us and we will be happy to send someone out to help you, during normal business hours. It is your responsibility as the property owner to make sure you are protecting yourself as much as possible against a possible water problem. While all leaks and pipe breaks cannot be prevented, the damage from many of them could be minimized or even prevented, had the water been turned off.