Over the last week, many folks in Highlands are still reeling from the damage caused by 2 days worth of sub-zero temperatures around Christmas. Personally, I've seen some very severe cases that caused significant damage to a number of homes. Talking with the homeowners, there's been a lot of interesting lessons learned. Here are some personal observations that I think might help.
1. If you are leaving your home for any period of time, turn your water off! You do not necessarily have to drain the house and winterize it, but at least have the water turned off so if a pipe did break, it wouldn't run non-stop until you returned. In the Town of Highlands, a broken water line will cost thousands of dollars in water use that you will be responsible for. It is very easy to turn your water off and eliminate the chance of any of this happening
2. Do not trust a "Water Cop." I had a number of people tell me they rely on this. A water cop is a device/ electric valve that turns your water off if it senses a dramatic drop in water pressure (as it would with a large water leak). You are responsible for any water leak that occurs on your side of the town valve that’s on the street. This device won’t help you with frozen pipes and like I said, you’re responsible for leaks that happen between the town’s water valve the water cop.
3. While it sounds simple, know the location of your water main valve so it can be turned off in the event of a water leak. A lot of these valve boxes get covered with leaves and become buried quickly. Mark the location of the valve with a 3’ plastic rod of sorts. Also know the location of where your water enters your home and whether or not there is a valve located there. While this does sound simple, I was at a residence where there was 8 broken pipe locations, water running down the steps and out between the wall and foundation. The owners were there and had no idea how to turn the water off. After about 30 minutes of searching, I found a valve in a basement closet.
4. Know the location of your electric panel as well. While this is easier to find, it’s good to know exactly where it is in the event of an emergency.
Again, I learned recently that there are a lot of 2nd homeowners not doing these simple things and unfortunately, many of those folks have a difficult situation to deal with. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have or reach out to the Community Association who can give you more information as well.