When the power goes out in a freeze
An ice storm or a hard freeze that knocks out power is the worst case for plumbing: no heat, no well pump and no tankless water heater, sometimes for a day or more.
Last reviewed October 30, 2026 against the sources listed below. General information, not insurance or legal advice.
Pipe-freeze risk for Newberry right now
Pipe-freeze risk, the week ahead: Low
- Coldest hour: 50°F, Fri, Oct 30 at 8:00 AM ET
- Hours at or below 32°F: 0; at or below 28°F: 0; at or below 20°F: 0
No freezing temperatures in the hourly forecast. A good week to find your main shutoff, buy faucet covers and check pipe insulation before the first hard freeze.
Computed from the National Weather Service hourly forecast for Newberry, updated Fri, Oct 30 at 7:42 AM ET. Low spots, river bottoms and rural yards often run colder than the forecast point. Thresholds: 32°F freezing; 28°F the NWS hard-freeze level; 20°F the freeze-alert threshold for homes in southern states from University of Illinois research.
No active weather alerts for the area right now. Water and weather center
It happens here
On January 10, 2025, a winter storm knocked out a Duke Energy substation in Prosperity, and nearly 600 customers in Newberry County lost power that night, WIS reported. During the December 2022 Christmas freeze, wind gusts up to 55 mph brought down trees and power lines across South Carolina, and more than 75,000 customers were without power by Friday morning, according to the State Climatology Office.
Who to call
- Newberry Electric Cooperative members: nec.coop, which has an outage map.
- City of Newberry electric customers: City of Newberry Utilities, 803-321-1018 (803-276-0311 after hours).
- Other parts of the area are served by Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, Dominion Energy South Carolina or Duke Energy. Check your bill.
Protect the pipes without power
- Open faucets on outside walls to a drip. Moving water resists freezing longer.
- Hold in the heat: close curtains, doors to unused rooms and crawl space vents.
- If the house will drop below freezing for a long time, shut off the main and drain the lines: turn off the water heater first, then open the faucets and flush the toilets.
- On a well you will have only what is left in the pressure tank. Fill containers before the storm.
Heat safely
Ready.gov's rules: use a generator only outdoors and away from windows, and never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home, because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Keep space heaters away from anything that can burn, and turn them off when you leave the room.
Generators and the well pump
A well pump often runs on a 240-volt circuit and needs a generator big enough to start it. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. Connect it through a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician, which keeps power from feeding back into the utility lines.
When the power comes back
- Check for leaks before you leave the house: the crawl space, the water heater and the well house.
- Make sure an electric water heater is full of water before turning its power back on.
- With every faucet off, watch the water meter. If it is still turning, you have a leak.
Frequently asked questions
How long before pipes freeze without power?
It depends on how cold it is, how well the house holds heat and where the pipes are. Near 20°F, pipes in crawl spaces and outside walls can freeze overnight. Drip faucets, and drain the system if the outage will be long.
Can I run my well pump on a generator?
Often, if the generator is big enough for the pump's starting load and is connected through a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician.
Policies vary. Check your own policy and ask your insurer or agent about anything that affects your claim. Rules can change; this page reflects the sources below as of October 30, 2026. NewberrySCPlumbing.com is not a plumber, insurer, adjuster or law firm.
Find local help
Plumbers and well contractors serving Newberry County · Ask for help with a frozen or burst pipe · Who to call · Counties and towns