With winter right around the corner, the City of Beloit Water Utility offers these winter maintenance tips:
• Check the temperature of your water. Normal groundwater temperatures are typically in the upper 40s and lower 50s, so check the water temperature in your homes. To do so, you can use a
simple digital thermometer and place in a cup of tap water. If it’s getting close to 32◦ you should take action to prevent freezing.
• Prevent freezing of service lateral by keeping water moving. During a prolonged, severe cold snap, you may want to consider letting your water run continuously if you live in an area that is susceptible to freezing such as a dead-end street or cul-de-sac. A pencil-wide stream is typically sufficient to prevent freezing. You may also simply run the water on a frequent basis throughout
the day and night to minimize risk of freezing.
• Check Heating Components. Maintain furnaces to make sure they’re operating correctly and replace filters regularly. Also check heat tapes and space heaters used with control elements. For less expensive items, you may consider purchasing back-ups should something fail.
• Be careful when thawing frozen pipes. For exposed pipes in buildings you can use a simple hairdryer. For underground metal pipes it’s best to call a professional. Newer methods of pipe
thawing use recirculating hot water or steam. These methods are much safer than an electrical current and they also have the additional benefit of being effective on non-metallic pipes such as
plastic or PVC.
• Check empty and vacant buildings. Check vacant properties and ask neighbors or relatives to check homes of people on vacation. A great deal of frost or condensation on windows may
indicate that a heating system has failed and water may be running due to frozen and broken
pipes.
• If you plan to be away for any length of time, have a friend or neighbor run water for you.
This notification is for informational purposes only. The City of Beloit Water Utility will closely monitor winter weather conditions and frost depths in an effort to minimize impact to the system. In the event of a run-water requirement, you will be notified via door hanger or other direct method. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Beloit Water Utility at 608-364-2888.
