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December
15, 2005
Here’s
How to Save Water Pipes in Winter Power Outages
If you lose electrical
power and you suspect it will be off for several days in winter weather,
you need to protect your water pipes.
North Dakota State
University Extension Service agricultural engineers Tom Scherer, Vern
Hofman and Ken Hellevang have this advice to keep the pipes from freezing:
- Shut off the water
at the main shut-off valve in your house if you are on a city or rural
water system. If you have a well, turn off the power to the well pump.
Drain pressure tanks associated with well pumps.
- Turn on all faucets
and flush toilets to get as much water out of the water lines as possible.
A faucet at the lowest level in the plumbing is especially helpful in
draining the pipes. Use air pressure to blow water out of pipes if possible.
- Drain the water
heater by opening the faucet at the bottom of the heater tank.
- Pour RV antifreeze
down drains and sinks and into toilet bowls and tanks because some water
will remain in pipes and toilets. Have RV antifreeze on hand as part
of your emergency preparedness kit.
- Disconnect the
clothes washer hoses from their faucets, drain the water and pour RV
antifreeze into the hoses and bottom of the washer. If you have a generator,
use it to run the washer briefly to circulate the antifreeze. The antifreeze
may not prevent freezing damage if it isn’t circulated.
- If possible, disconnect
the dishwasher from its water supply, drain the water, pour RV antifreeze
into the bottom of the dishwasher and, using a generator, run the dishwasher
briefly to circulate the antifreeze. Check the owners manual for specific
recommendations on your model.
Hofman says you can
use automobile antifreeze if you don’t have the RV variety, but
the RV type is preferable because it is designed for use in household
pipes.
During the recent
power outages throughout the region, some homeowners chose to turn on
their faucets and continually run a small amount of water through the
pipes. The three experts say that flow of water could overwhelm septic
systems.
Hellevang recommends
that when the power outage is over, homeowners should have a professional,
such as a plumber, check their pipes if they are worried that water may
have frozen in them and caused damage to the pipes.
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Source:
Ken Hellevang, (701) 231-7243, kjh-eng@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Source: Vern Hofman, (701) 231-7240, vhofman@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Source: Tom Scherer, (701) 231-7239, tscherer@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Ellen Crawford, (701) 231-5391, ecrawfor@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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