City of Kalamazoo Shares Tips to Prevent Frozen Water Lines

Kalamazoo residents are being urged to take simple precautions to prevent flooding from frozen pipes. While Southwest Michigan may be getting a short break from the snow, these subzero temperatures are here to stay.

If your pipes have frozen recently-- or worse-- you’re not alone!

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The City of Kalamazoo has been flooded with reports of frozen or burst pipes from residents. According to the City,

frozen private water lines, burst private water lines and the associated damage from frozen and burst private water lines are the responsibility of the... homeowner or building owner...Customers are responsible for all water usage; no bill credits will be issued for private water line freeze protection water usage.

You can save yourself countless hours of worry, cleanup, and most importantly, prevent thousands of dollars in plumbing bills and repairs, by taking these simple precautions when temperatures drop below freezing.

I'm sure we have all heard that it's best to open your cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate your pipes, but the City of Kalamazoo says the most important thing you can do to prevent your pipes from freezing is to:

"Run the cold water at a pencil lead diameter flow from the kitchen faucet or the faucet that is prone to freeze."

Experts also recommend keeping basement areas head to at least 40 degrees and insulating exposed pipes to reduce the risk of freezing. Adds the City,

Customers are responsible for all water usage, but the cost of running a small stream is often much less than the cost of repairing broken pipes.