Wrap up for winter Wrap exposed pipes with insulating material. Pipes under kitchen sinks, in crawl spaces, near windows or in unheated basements are areas susceptible to freezing. Locate and tag the water shut-off valve The shut-off valve controls all of the water into your home. If a pipe bursts, knowing the location of your shut-off valve and how to turn it off, can save valuable time and prevent water damage. The shut-off valve may be located in the basement, under the kitchen sink, in a utility closet, near the hot water heater or even under the house in a crawl space. Once you locate the main shut-off valve, mark it so you can locate it during an emergency. Louisville Water offers free, water-proof identifiers that attach to the valve. Customers can get the tags at Lousiville Water’s downtown office, 550 South Third Street. Make sure you have it covered If your house has a crawl space, cover the outside vents to prevent winter winds form entering and freezing pipes. Keep the garage door closed if you have a slab foundation since some water pipes are located under concrete floors in the garage.
