Texas

How to protect your pipes during the upcoming freeze in San Antonio

December 20, 2022
Cody King, Rebecca Salinas

With freezing temperatures nearing, the San Antonio Water System is urging customers to prepare their homes now.

Your KSAT Weather Authority is expecting arctic cold air to make its way into San Antonio on Thursday afternoon.

While it’s not expected to be as severe as the freeze of February 2021, people should take precautions to keep their homes protected, SAWS says.

These cold temperatures can especially pose a threat to water pipes, both indoors and outdoors. As the ice begins to form, it can expand and possibly break your pipes, which could be costly.

But, there are a few precautions you can take to prevent this. Here’s what you can do, according to SAWS:

Cold winds can speed up the freezing process. Seal up openings where cold air can reach unprotected water pipes, like faucets. Drain and turn OFF your sprinkler system.
Foam or fiberglass insulation sleeves go a long way in keeping exposed pipes safe.
Leave cabinet doors open under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warmer room air to circulate over the pipes.
If there are rooms without heating ducts, leave doors open to allow ambient heat in. Especially if the room is on the north side of the house.
Let faucets drip slowly to keep water flowing through the pipes.

Watch: How city, county officials are planning for upcoming freeze

Don’t worry about the pipes underground, as the temperatures won’t be cool enough to freeze them, according to SAWS.

If you do find that your house is without water during the cold weather, there are a few things to consider when trying to navigate the problem. It could be due to a frozen pipe or another issue.

Here’s what to look for to help determine what’s causing the water outage, according to SAWS:

Check multiple faucets around the home. Are they all off or is it just one?
Check with your neighbors to see if they have water service.
Is your home heated? Were you away from home during the freeze?
Did you leave your faucets dripping? Cover your outdoor faucets?

Once the temperatures begin to warm up, make sure to check your plumbing in areas that may have been subject to freezing.

If a pipe is cracked or damaged, you’ll likely need to get it repaired.

Additionally, customers should store tap water in clean, large containers in case of outages.

To learn more about how to winterize your home, or for more information on SAWS, click here.

Stay Informed

As always, Your Weather Authority team will keep you updated. You can get the very latest forecast anytime by bookmarking our weather page and downloading the KSAT Weather Authority App – available for both Apple and Android devices.

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