There are things you can do to safely turn your water off and on again after a hard freeze.
HOUSTON – The Houston area is predicted to have two more nights of freezing temperatures and there are still things you can do to protect your pipes.
“Tonight, before you go to sleep, go out and turn off the main shutdown, turn on a few taps so your pipes can drain. They can’t burst if they don’t have water to freeze, “said Carol Haddock, public works director for the city of Houston.
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Even Villasana says he intends to do it.
“Exactly what we’ve seen in the past few days, I wouldn’t take that risk,” said Villasana.
He is a master plumber at Village Plumbing and Air.
“I’m going to drain the system in my house,” he said.
The best option is to shut the valve of the city on your curb. It’s usually in a covered box. Simply turn the handle so that it is perpendicular to the pipe. If you can’t reach this, the valve on the side of your house will work too. But before you do that, Villasana says you should do something first.
“What people should do is while they have their water on, when you have accessible water. Fill your bathtubs when you have buckets of water to flush toilets, “he said.
Village Plumbing answered 10,000 calls on Thursday. Your normal busy day becomes less than 500.
“It is better to be without water for 10 to 12 hours than for 10 to 12 days. Let’s say a pipe bursts and you’re waiting for insurance and adjusters and all that, “Villasana said.
You can turn the water back on as soon as temperatures are above freezing. However, open the taps and do this slowly. Plumbers recommend using a clock and turning on a little more water every minute for five minutes – and make sure there’s someone inside to watch for leaks.
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