Water Dropping Drop by Drop Freezes from the Bottom Due to Cold Wave
Keep Tap Water Running Thinly at Night to Prevent Pipe Bursting
Due to the Arctic cold wave that swept in with the New Year, there have been numerous incidents of water meter freezing accidents nationwide. The freezing of water meters was concentrated on the 25th, which saw the coldest weather this winter.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and Seoul City on the 25th, as of 6 a.m., there were a total of 98 cases of water meter freezing in the Seoul area, nearly double compared to 50 cases as of 11 p.m. on the 24th. There was also one case of water pipe freezing in the Seoul area.
On the 25th, when the strongest cold wave of this winter hit, a photo was posted online showing that the water was left running to prevent pipe freezing, but the faucet itself had frozen. [Photo source=Online community]
Meanwhile, on many online communities, a photo titled "Status of stores leaving water running to prevent pipes from freezing" was posted. The photo showed water left running to prevent freezing turning into icicles. It is presumed that the water droplets froze from the ground up due to the extremely cold weather, accumulating over time.
Netizens who saw this commented, "They should have left the water running just enough to flow gently, but if it drips drop by drop, it freezes and eventually becomes that thick," and "It looks like stalactites in a limestone cave," expressing sympathy.
On social networking services (SNS), posts about temporarily closing stores due to freezing were also found. Stories such as "The cafe restroom is restricted due to freezing" and "The store flooded because of freezing since morning" were also shared.
The nationwide water meter freezing accidents are occurring one after another due to the Arctic cold wave that swept in with the New Year. [Photo by Kim Hyun-min, Asia Economy]
Meanwhile, according to Seoul City, the amount of water flowing is important to prevent freezing. When the temperature is below minus 15 degrees Celsius, water should be run at a rate that fills a disposable paper cup every 33 seconds to effectively prevent freezing. This amounts to about 130 won for 10 hours based on Seoul City's household water rates.
Seoul City advised that if the water meter is frozen, warm towels (50?60 degrees Celsius) should be used first to thaw around the meter and water pipes, and then lukewarm water should be gradually increased to warm water when pouring. Using water hotter than 50 degrees Celsius from the start can cause damage due to sudden temperature changes. Leaving water running thinly during outings or nighttime can help prevent freezing.
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