Illinois American Water reminds homeowners to take precautions now to be prepared for freezing winter temperatures ahead. Acting now can prevent costly plumbing repairs and headaches for homeowners.

During winter weather, interior water pipes need special care to keep them from freezing, so homeowners should take reasonable precautions to help protect their property from damage. Weatherproofing your home against the cold will pay dividends on energy bills in the winter and will also help protect your indoor plumbing against the threat of breaks.

Illinois American Water encourages its customers to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of freezing pipes that can burst.

Before cold weather sets in:

· Know what areas of your home, such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and outside walls, are most vulnerable to freezing.

· Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts near doors.

· Know where your main water shut-off valve is. If a pipe freezes or bursts, shut the water off immediately.

· Protect your pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed tightly and let any snow that falls cover it. Snow acts as insulation so don’t disturb it.

When temperatures fall below zero:

· If you have pipes that are vulnerable to freezing, allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. The cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken pipe.

· Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing.

If your pipes freeze:

· Shut off the water immediately. Don’t attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints.

· Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it. Be sure to avoid the use of kerosene heaters or open flames.

· Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks and leaks.

When you are away:

· Have a friend, relative or neighbor regularly check your property to insure the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.

· Also, a freeze alarm can be purchased for less than $100 and will call a user-selected phone number if the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.