What to Do to Prevent Water Meter and Pipes from Freezing in Winter

The first cold days are here, so it's worth making sure in time that your home's water meter and plumbing are adequately protected from freezing. Kristiina Soovik, Head of Water Quality at Tallinn Water, shares advice on how to prevent your water meter and plumbing from freezing and the costly damage that comes with it.

Constant temperature fluctuations can damage digital water meters and cause uninsulated pipes to freeze and burst. Unnecessary repair costs and water emergencies can be avoided with a few simple preventive measures.

Keep your water meter warm

Pipe freezing usually starts at the water meter, especially if it's located in an unheated basement or storage area. Therefore, you must ensure that the temperature in the water meter room does not fall below +3 °C. For this, the room must be properly insulated and ideally heated as well.

It is also important to check that there are no drafts in the room and that all cracks, windows and doors are carefully sealed. Drafts significantly speed up pipe freezing. Single-glazed basement windows should be covered with wool or foam insulation to reduce heat loss.

Cover pipes with insulation material

Water pipes should be covered with at least 9 millimetres of insulation material. This protects the pipes from condensation even in summer, which is sometimes mistakenly thought to be a leak in the plumbing.

However, if the room is cool and water is used infrequently, insulation alone may not be enough. In that case, a heating cable should be installed under the insulation materials. In warmer conditions and when the temperature stays permanently above +3 degrees, heating cables do not need to be used.

Empty your summer house pipes of water

In summer houses or country homes where people don't live in winter and heating is not used, the water should be shut off from the connection point for winter. The safest way is to have the local water company shut off the water from the connection point and remove the meter. After that, all taps must be opened so that no water remains in the pipes. As it warms up, water left in the pipes will expand, which can cause pipes to burst and expensive water emergencies.

Don't underestimate the condition of your plumbing

As the cold arrives, homeowners whose pipes are old, rusty or damaged should be particularly critical in assessing the condition of their water meter. Heavily corroded plumbing is brittle and can easily break in the cold. The most vulnerable spots are often invisible to the eye, such as threads and joints. It's always worth asking a specialist whether the plumbing needs repair or replacement. Timely action helps prevent major damage and costly repairs in the future.

A properly insulated and maintained water system ensures that the cold days pass without worry. If you plan to upgrade your plumbing, be sure to also check your water company's technical requirements – this will make it easier to install a smart meter in the future and ensure the system works reliably year-round.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PLUMBING HAS FROZEN?

• If the plumbing is freezing and cannot be heated immediately, as a short-term measure, you can leave the water tap running slightly. The movement of water slows down the rate at which the plumbing freezes through.

• If water in the pipe has already frozen, you should first disconnect easily removable pipe fittings so that there is room for expansion during thawing and water can flow out of the pipe. Otherwise, it can result in pipe bursting. The same can happen in spring when heat begins to thaw the frozen plumbing.

• In case of extensive freezing, you should definitely contact professional plumbers to avoid damaging the plumbing and incurring additional costs.