With the deep freeze covering the Washington, DC area, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority is offering some tips to keep your pipes from freezing.

•Dont turn the heat down too low in the basement.

•Fill holes in doors, windows and walls near meters and pipes. Ensure that the crawl spaces are sealed tight.

•Be sure that heat can circulate around the water meter and pipes. Water meter and pipes in or on outside walls, in an uninsulated cabinet or in an enclosed area can freeze if heat does not circulate through the area. This is especially true when wind-chill factors drop well below zero.

•Insulate pipes that have frozen in the past or that may be exposed to freezing temperatures. Check insulation for dampness. Wet insulation is worse than no insulation at all.

•If you have experienced frozen water pipes in the past, we suggest you open a faucet, closest to where your service line enters your residence. The flow of water should be more than a couple drops but much less than a full stream.