By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
With lows expected to drop well below freezing again later this week, it's important to make sure water pipes in your home are protected from the temperatures.
Spokeswoman for Missouri American Water Christie Barnhart says every year Missouri American Water puts out tips of ways to protect your pipes.
"They're just some easy things that can be done at an individual's place of residence that can prevent what can result in being a very costly problem to have and also one that's inconvenience," Barnhart tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Because not only are you looking at expenses if pipes burst, you also don't have water."
Barnart says some simple tips to remember to keep your pipes from freezing are to keep cabinet doors open at night and to keep a small trickle running from the faucet.
Barnhart adds everyone should also know where the main shut off valve is in the case of pipes freezing, to avoid the expense of burst pipes flooding your home.
Barnhart says it's common when pipes freeze for people to think it's an issue with the water company.
"We do get phone calls quite often from people that experience this," Barnhart explains. "And a lot of times they don't have water and they think that there's something happened with the water company when in reality it's just their own pipes frozen."
She says if there are no water main breaks in your area and you have no water, more than likely it's because your pipes froze.
You can check Missouri American Waters website for tips to help prevent pipes from freezing during the night with the colder temperatures.
The colder weather could also bring snow this winter, which in most people's minds could contribute even more to pipes becoming frozen.
But Barnhart says actually packed snow around your water meter, could do more good than it does harm, as it provides insulation for the water.
"And a lot of times we have people that want to go check their meter or remove snow from their meter lid, and that's actually the last thing, and probably the worst thing, a person can do," Barnhart says. "Because the snow is actually insulating and if they remove the snow from the meter, or even lift the lid, that exposes that meter to that cold air which can cause a meter to bust."
Barnhart says Missouri American does have a significant problem with people messing with the meter and lifting the lid, and reminds everyone again to leave it alone, and if you have issues to call the water company