Hershey >> This weekend’s snow and cold temperatures served as a reminder that while it isn’t officially winter — the season has nonetheless arrived.

With the return of frigid temperatures comes the risk of frozen and damaged household pipes. Pennsylvania American Water is offering some tips to help avoid these seasonal issues.

“We have experienced some mild winters in recent years, but that doesn’t mean customers should neglect to protect vulnerable areas of their homes to avoid frozen pipes that can burst and result in costly damage,” said Pennsylvania American Water Vice President of Operations Jimmy Sheridan. “Protecting your home against the cold helps save on energy bills and safeguards your plumbing against the threat of breaks.”

The utility reminds property owners that they are responsible for maintenance of the water service line from the curb to the house, as well as any in-home piping. According to Pennsylvania American water, there are some steps property owners can take now, to prepare for the winter weather to come:

• Familiarize yourself with areas of your home most susceptible to freezing, such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and outside walls.

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

• Locate the main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes or bursts, shut the water off immediately.

• Protect pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation or use electrical heat tracing wire; newspaper or fabric might also work. 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 are consistently at or below freezing:

• For pipes that are vulnerable to freezing, allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing.

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

If, despite preparation, pipes should 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, or by applying heat directly to a pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Be sure not to leave space heaters unattended.

• Do not use kerosene heaters or open flames to thaw pipes inside the home.

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

There are also some steps property owners can take if they are planning to be away from home including having a friend, relative or neighbor check on their property to ensure the heat is working and pipes have not frozen. In addition, freeze alarms are available that call a user-selected phone number if the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.

For more tips, visit Pennsylvania American Water’s YouTube channel, www.YouTube.com/paamwater and view the Thawing Frozen Pipes video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oen0kSvqKks&t=10s.

Sub-freezing temperatures can cause aging water mains to break and cause unsafe driving conditions. Pennsylvania American Water asks anyone that sees a leak or if water service is disrupted, to contact the company’s customer service center at 1-800-565-7292.

Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.3 million people, including portions of Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties. For more information visit www.amwater.com.

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