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Autumn is a good time for you to take steps to prevent water pipes from freezing
and bursting this winter.
Insulate water pipes in any "unheated" areas of your
basement, such as crawl spaces. Also, inspect your basement for broken windows or
especially drafty areas. Bitter cold blowing directly on a water pipe can quicken
the freezing process.
Consider draining your outside faucets by:
- Closing your shut-off valves (usually located within three feet of the interior
basement walls nearest the outside faucet)
- Opening your outside faucets to drain the water from the valves to the spigots and
- Leaving your outside faucets open through the winter.
If you are going away for the winter, consider draining your plumbing
system even if you intend to leave the heat on. Ask a qualified plumber how to do
this. If you receive water from the MDC, call the MDC's Customer Service department
at (860) 278-7850 x3600 so that your water can be shut off at the curb box as well.
If you use a wood or coal burning stove as the primary source of
heat in your home and you also have a conventional hot water heating system that
you seldom use, it is a good practice to occasionally turn on your hot water heater.
Water left standing in a pipe or radiator -- particularly in or near an exterior
wall -- can freeze during bitter cold spells.
If a pipe does break in your home, shut off the main valve nearest
to the water meter and call a plumber.
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