Get ready before the cold night
The pipes most likely to freeze are the ones on exterior walls, in crawlspaces, in unheated garages and attics, and under sinks on outside walls. A few easy steps on the afternoon before a hard freeze go a long way.
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover the outdoor spigots
- When it drops below 20 degrees, let the faucets on outside walls drip, both hot and cold
- Open the cabinet doors under sinks so warm air from the house can reach the pipes
- Keep the garage door closed if water lines run through the garage
- Keep the heat on, even if you're away, and don't set it lower than the mid-50s
A dripping faucet does two things: it keeps water moving, and it relieves pressure in the line if ice does start to form. A slow, steady drip is all it takes.
Know where your main water shutoff is
If a pipe bursts, the most important thing is how fast you can stop the water. Every house has a main shutoff valve, usually where the water line comes into the house, often in a crawlspace, a basement, a garage or near the water heater. Some homes also have a shutoff at the meter by the street. Find yours now, while it's dry and calm, and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is and how to turn it.
Go find the main shutoff this weekend and give it a gentle test. If it's stuck or hard to reach, clear the area around it and hang a tag on it so nobody has to hunt for it with water on the floor.
If a pipe freezes, thaw it safely
If you turn on a faucet and get only a trickle, or nothing at all, a pipe may be frozen. Leave that faucet open so water can flow once the ice melts. Then warm the pipe slowly, starting from the faucet end and working back. Warm towels, a hair dryer on a low setting or a space heater kept a safe distance away all work. Keep cords and anything electric away from water.
Never thaw a pipe with an open flame, like a torch or a lighter. It's a real fire risk and it can damage the pipe. If you can't find or reach the frozen spot, or a pipe has already split, shut off the main water and call a plumber. And if your heat is the reason the house got cold, call me. A furnace that quits on a freezing night is the most common way pipes end up frozen, and I'll get your heat back on.
