How to help prevent your pipes from freezing
1. Drain outside water lines
Water lines in unheated or uninsulated areas are most at risk for freezing. Before winter arrives, turn off and drain any outdoor water lines.
2. Keep the heat on
If you’re going away for long periods during the colder winter months, don’t shut off the heat completely. Set your thermostat to a safe temperature to help prevent frozen pipes and costly water damage repairs.
3. Keep interior doors open and garage doors closed
Since most of your plumbing is in the bathrooms, keep the bathroom doors open to let the heat circulate freely. If you have water pipes in your garage, leave your garage doors closed to keep the worst of the cold out and help protect the pipes.You may also want to consider opening your kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities to allow better air and heat flow.
4. Think prevention before you go away
No one wants to come back to water damage in their house after their vacation, so prep your home before you leave for a long period of time:
- Turn off the main water supply.
- Drain the water pipes:
- Start at the top floor of the house and turn on all the taps and flush the toilets.
- Contact a plumber for advice on how to best proceed.
- Ask a friend to check on your house.
- Notify your insurer of your extended absence.
Extra steps you can take to prevent damage
Move exposed pipes
Ask a professional to relocate exposed pipes to protect them from freezing, especially if you’ve had issues with frozen pipes in the past.
Insulate pipes
Insulate any water pipes in the unheated areas of your house, like the basement, garage and attic. Insulated pipes help keep water from freezing when temperatures drop. They also help reduce heat loss, which means your water heater doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain a constant temperature. As an added bonus, it could help keep your heating bill down!
Thawing frozen pipes
Despite your best efforts, your pipes can freeze during an extreme cold spell. If you turn on your taps and only a trickle of water comes out, or the water pressure suddenly drops, you might have a frozen pipe. Here are some useful tips:
- Shut off the main water valve.
- Warm the frozen pipes with a hair dryer, heating pad or portable space heater. Don’t use a blowtorch — it could damage plastic pipes or cause a fire.
- If you can’t reach the frozen pipe, or it won’t thaw, call a licensed plumber.
- Keep the nearest faucet turned on while treating a frozen pipe. As it melts, water will begin to flow through the faucet.
- Check the other faucets in your home — if one pipe freezes, others might too.
- Before turning the water back on, check for broken or damaged pipes to avoid significant damage to your home. If in doubt, call a plumber.
- If you do have water damage, call your insurance company.