Taking precautions to prevent pipe bursts important as temperatures drop

By Jazmine Knight

With below-freezing temperatures hitting across the area, homeowners and renters should take precautions to protect their pipes and avoid facing costly repairs.

Christie Barnhart, senior manager of external communications at Missouri American Water, said the best way to protect your pipes is to plan ahead. Opening cabinet doors to allow pipes access to warmer air is one way to avoid freezing.

Additionally, wrapping your pipes in insulation such as fabric, newspaper or heat tape, which are available for purchase at home improvement stores, can also provide the needed warmth to prevent bursting.

Letting your faucet continuously stream at a trickle can help as well. Homeowners may be a bit leery of this method considering it could increase water bills. However, the slight increase on your water bill is cheaper than the cost of repairs; an average moderate pipe replacement cost is $500.

“But you also are looking at what could be a very exorbitant water bill (after pipes burst), which we do offer a one-time leak adjustment. But it’s just better to prevent that from happening,” Barnhart said.

In the event a pipe does burst, homeowners and renters should know where their shut-off valves are to stop water from flowing.

Residents need to be prepared no matter what, as more than just the temperature can play a role in pipe issues.

“There’s a lot of variables. For example, what direction does the home face? How old are the pipes and how well is the home insulated?” Barnhart said. “All these things can really factor in whether or not you’re at risk for pipes bursting. But when temperatures get as cold as it is, I think it’s important for people to take safeguards no matter what.”

With the cold temperatures, water main breaks are also a big concern. Sometimes these water main breaks can cause service interruptions. This in turn affects the water company’s ability to service homes or apartments, which could leave residents without water for an extended period of time.

“Water service is definitely one of those things,” Barnhart said. “You don’t realize how important it is until it’s gone. And that’s a huge inconvenience that no one wants to deal with, especially this time of year for sure.”

For information on water main breaks in your area or more on pipe protection, visit missouriamwater.com.