TEXAS, USA — As Texans spend a fair amount of time in the deep freeze again, a really good friend to have goes by the name Jones Stephens. It's one name for a special tool that many realized they didn’t have when they really needed it in last year’s February arctic blast.
In many cases, you need a tool like this to turn and open the locked iron box cover that houses your water meter outside. Inside that box you will also find a small valve where you can shut off your water at the main. You may also need a large T-shaped tool to turn the shut off valve, but in many cases, you can do it simply with a wrench.
However you do it, you should turn your water off if your pipes have frozen, because frozen pipes can crack. When they eventually thaw out, if your water has not been turned off, busted pipes can cause a damaging cascade of water inside your dwelling.
Social media feeds in February 2021 were filled with pictures and videos of Texans chronicling the flood of water pouring into their homes and apartments from cracked pipes.
As the water keeps pouring, and as damage estimates keep climbing, it affects all of us in the form of higher insurance rates. Insurance companies had to make tremendous payouts after last year’s winter storm, and much of that was due to frozen pipes and the ensuing water damage.
State Farm, the largest homeowner insurance underwriter in Texas, paid out $343 million in frozen pipe claims in Texas last year. That was, by far, more than the company paid out in other states.
State Farm says Texas also easily outpaced other states in the number of frozen pipe claims and for the average cost per claim. That average claim cost number, in particular, shows that many Texans really didn’t know how to deal with frozen pipes, and damage costs piled up.
Here is data provided by State Farm for the top states for frozen pipe claims it handled in 2021.
So it’s a good idea ahead of time to know where your water shut off valve is located outside, to get a Jones Stephens or similar key to open the iron cover to access it, and to practice opening that cover and finding the valve just in case. Those keys to remove the cover tend to sell out in times like this, so at least find a neighbor who has one, and let them know you might need it.
Here is a simple demonstration by Baker Brothers on YouTube, showing how to remove the cover over your water meter, access your water valve and shut off water to your home.