Ankara Water and Sewerage Administration (ASKİ) General Directorate informed the people of the capital about the precautions to be taken against the risk of freezing in water meters due to cold weather and icing. ASKİ officials warned against intervening in frozen meters with fire or hot water.
Following the announcement by the General Directorate of Meteorology that cold weather will be effective in Ankara between March 18-24, 2025, ASKİ General Directorate warned the people of the capital against the risk of freezing. ASKİ officials suggested that the open areas where the meters are located be closed and the broken windows be replaced in order to protect them from drafts.
In the statement made by ASKİ, “Meters and exposed water pipes should be covered with materials such as isoglass, glass wool, cloth, sawdust and pipe sheath. The meter location should be clean, bright and protected from wind. "In case the water meter freezes, the valve must be closed and the water must be cut off in order to prevent other meters from freezing due to the water flowing from the exploded meter."
INFORM THE AUTHORITIES IN CASE OF NEGATIVE SITUATIONS
Authorities also emphasized that frozen meters should not be intervened with fire or hot water, and drew attention to the fact that in this case, the meters become unusable. Subscribers were asked to immediately close the valve and notify the authorities in case the meter freezes, bursts or leaks water.
HOW SHOULD WE PROTECT WATER METERS AND PIPES?
The precautions that site and apartment managers, especially residential and business subscribers, should take during the winter months are as follows:
-The outside of the connection pipes before and after the meter should be covered with aluminum, and the inside with ready-made protection material made of isoglass.
-Meter and installation pipes should be wrapped with cotton fabric material to ensure that the meter screen remains clear,
-In residences or workplaces such as detached garden houses, slums, duplexes, villas, the area where the meter is located should be kept dry with materials such as dry sawdust, dry straw, and fragmented styrofoam to serve as a pillow (including the areas of the meter inside the well),
-The meter area or the installation should never be protected with a nylon type material (otherwise it causes the meter and the meter area to get moist and the meter to explode),
-Meters in meter rooms, collectors and meter shafts on floors should not be located in open areas with wind or cold,
-There must be lighting in meter rooms or meter areas on detached floors,
-In case of meter malfunctions, there must be movement space for the teams and water drain in case of intervention or explosion.
