Winter Weather FYIs

The upcoming weather forecast predicts extreme temperatures in the coming days, with temperatures dropping below 32°F. Cold weather can have a significant impact on your plumbing and winter electric bills. To help you stay comfortable and avoid costly damage, please keep the following tips in mind:

Avoid Freezing Pipes: Water lines should be protected during low temperatures. Check around your home for locations where water supply lines are located in unheated areas. Look in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated. We also recommend locating your master water shutoff valve so you know where it is if you do have a pipe break. It may be near the water heater or the washing machine. More likely it is where the water service pipe enters the house from the street. If a pipe bursts anywhere in the house – kitchen, bath, basement or crawl space – this valve turns it off. — Click here for Tips on Preventing & Thawing Frozen Pipes.
Backflow Prevention: Protect your irrigation system’s backflow prevention device. These are typically located in your front yard and have a white box-like cover. Insulate the inside of the cover and protect the pipes by wrapping/taping insulation, newspaper, a blanket or even a pool noodle around the pipes to prevent freezing. Click Here to Learn More.
Just in Case: Have a plumber’s telephone number handy. Write it down before you need it in an emergency. PWC’s website provides access to Local, Licensed Contractors information for your reference.
Insulation: Close your home’s foundation vents to reduce the circulation of cold air underneath your home.
Understanding Your Heat Pump: Heat pumps extract air from outside of your home and transfer it inside to heat the home to the desired thermostat setting. The greater the difference between the outside temperature and the temperature set inside — the more energy used and the more costly your bill.
Be Careful Adjusting the Thermostat: When adjusting the thermostat on a heat pump system, adjust by no more than two degrees at a time to prevent your system from automatically forcing the auxiliary/emergency heat system to start running. Auxiliary heat costs three times as much to operate and will come on automatically if temperatures get to or below freezing.
Drive Safely: PWC is urging customers to stay home if possible. If you have to drive, use extra caution because roads may be icy and visibility may be limited. Vehicle accidents that damage power poles and other equipment are a leading cause of power outages.
Additional Resources: Visit our Storm Central web page for additional tips: //FayPWC.com/Storm-Central