By Hope Loudon
Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) urges residents to winterize their homes in order to prevent costly damage to their property. As Andy Gebhart, TMWA’s customer service manager, would like to emphasize when it comes to preventing damage caused by broken pipes, “Learn before you need to know.”
As temperatures drop, it is important for home owners to winterize their homes. Since water expands when frozen, pipes can burst and cause flooding. Property owners who are not at home may not even be aware that their pipes have burst until they receive hefty water bills. Proper winterization can save homeowners water, effort, and thousands of dollars in repairs.
Gebhart said that the four main things to remember when it comes to winterizing your home are:
- Always turn off your irrigation system and do not forget to disconnect your hoses.
- Know where your shut-off valve is and how to turn it off if your pipes burst.
- Always have a plumber’s contact information on hand.
- While your TMWA meter should already have a protective blanket, you still need to insulate outside pipes.
As a general rule, TMWA recommends that residents winterize their homes by Nevada Day (Halloween) annually. This is because landscaping no longer needs water by that time and colder temperatures begin to threaten pipes.
If you need to know where your shut-off valve is, or if you are incapable of turning off your lawn irrigation by yourself, you can hire a plumber or landscaping professional to help you.
If you do not winterize your home and damage does occur, the first thing you need to do it turn off your water. To learn how to do this in the event of an emergency, watch TMWA’s video below.
As Gebhart said, “If people are in a panic and need help, they can call [TMWA] and we’ll turn off their water for them.”
You can reach TMWA at (775)834-8090. For a more detailed list of winterization tips, visit: http://tmwa.com/conservation/winterize.
