Asheville Reporter

City of Asheville issued the following announcement on Feb. 15.

Well, Asheville – according to the National Weather Service, it looks like we could see a couple more nights of cold weather temperatures, some dropping towards freezing. 

Get a good night’s rest and some peace of mind by following these tips to Protect your Pipes in freezing weather

And dont forget – AVL Alerts provides real time information of impact to services. 

Sign up and choose the information and locations that matter to YOU 

AVL ALERT: SIGN UP TODAY

The AVL Alert system currently remains the most direct way to get accurate and relevant information from the City of Asheville.  AVL Alert is an emergency and non-emergency notification system. This system enables the City of Asheville to provide you with the information that you want to receive via the communication methods that you choose. By enrolling in the system you are automatically subscribed to emergency alerts. During the registration process you will have the opportunity to choose from a number of non-emergency subscriptions. At any time you can login to the system and change your contact information and opt-in/out of subscriptions.

Signing up is easy – and you can choose for alerts to be delivered to you via Email, Text, Mobile or Landline.

Sign up for the type of alerts you want – and for the locations important to you.

• Your home
• Your apartment (yes, individual apartment owners can get notifications )
• Your business
• Your school 

Here are some tips and tricks that can help prepare your pipes for coming night time temps

Preventing frozen pipes

1. Disconnect and drain all garden hoses and install covers on outside faucets.
2. Keep garage doors closed.
3. Open cabinet doors. Opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors allows warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.
4. Identify water valve locations. Learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.
5. Insulate pipes. Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or heating tape. This will prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls.
6. Regulate indoor temperature day and night. Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
7. Close windows and cover vents. Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Freezing temperatures combined with drafts of cold air can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
8. Keep water moving at a slow drip if insulation and other suggested tips are not applicable to the situation and extreme cold weather is forecasted (<32℉ day and night). 

If a faucet or pipe inside your house freezes 

1. Start at the faucet. When thawing a pipe, start thawing it nearest to the faucet. Make sure the faucet is turned on so that melted water can drip out.
2. Use the proper tools. Pipes can be thawed by using a good hair dryer or heat water on the stove, soak towels in the hot water and wrap them around cold sections of the pipes. (For safety purposes, avoid operating a hair dryer around standing water.) Never try to thaw frozen pipes with torches or other means using extreme heat or flame. If heated too quickly waterlines can explode and cause serious injury
3. When to shut off water. If a pipe bursts, shut off water at the main valve. If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on top of the water heater should be closed. Call a plumber. Keep an emergency number nearby for quick access.
4. If your meter is frozen. If you believe that the water meter is frozen, contact the Water Department by calling (828) 251-1122. A Meter Technician will check to ensure that water is coming through the meter. All pipes and plumbing on the house side of the meter are considered private, and are the customer’s responsibility.
5. In an emergency, however, the Water Resources Department is available 24/7. The City does not assist customers with indoor plumbing issues but can cut off the water source to help mitigate the situation if a break occurs. Should you need assistance, call the City’s Customer Service number at 828-251-1122.

Original source can be found here.