How to Prevent Frozen Pipes: Start With the Pipes Most at Risk
To prevent frozen pipes, keep cold air off your pipes and warm air around them. Drain outdoor lines, insulate pipes in unheated spaces, keep the heat steady, and on the coldest nights open cabinet doors and let faucets drip. That is the advice from the American Red Cross, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) and the EPA, and it is the short version of this checklist.
- Drain outdoor hoses, hose bibs and sprinkler or pool lines.
- Insulate pipes in attics, crawl spaces, garages and along outside walls.
- Seal drafts and cold spots.
- Find your main water shutoff before you need it.
- Have the heating system checked.
- On very cold nights, open cabinet doors and let a faucet drip.
- Keep the thermostat steady, day and night.
Why do pipes freeze at all? The American Red Cross explains that water expands as it freezes, and that puts pressure on metal or plastic pipes until they can break. The pipes that freeze most often are:
- Pipes exposed to severe cold, such as outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines and sprinkler lines.
- Water supply pipes in unheated areas, such as basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages and kitchen cabinets.
- Pipes that run against exterior walls with little or no insulation.
Pipes do not freeze at one set temperature. Our post on at what temperature pipes freeze explains what really decides it.
Before Winter: Drain, Insulate and Seal
The best time to protect your pipes is before the first hard freeze, while you can still work comfortably outside and in the crawl space.
Drain and Shut Off Outdoor Lines
The American Red Cross says to remove, drain and store outdoor hoses. Close the inside valves that supply outdoor hose bibs and open the outside bibs so they drain. Swimming pool and sprinkler supply lines should be drained following the manufacturer's or installer's directions, and the Red Cross says not to put antifreeze in these lines unless directed. The EPA likewise advises shutting off and draining outdoor spigots before freezing temperatures arrive. If you do not have frost-proof outdoor faucets, IBHS says to shut off the valves and insulate the faucets.
Insulate Pipes in Unheated Spaces
IBHS says to make sure pipes are insulated in hard-to-reach places such as attics, crawl spaces and along walls facing outside, using pipe insulation made for the purpose. The American Red Cross adds that both hot and cold water pipes in the garage and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets should be insulated, and suggests considering a pipe sleeve or UL-listed heat tape or heat cable on exposed pipes. The EPA says to insulate water lines that run along exterior walls if you can.
If you use heat tape, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) gives these safety points:
- Plug the three-prong plug into a three-prong outlet so it is grounded.
- Use an outlet protected by a ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI).
- Apply the tape directly on the pipe, never on top of the insulation.
- Do not cover it with insulation unless the manufacturer says so.
- Inspect it each year.
Seal Drafts and Cold Spots
IBHS recommends caulking and sealing cracks or gaps on the outside of the house, adding weatherstripping around doors and windows, and covering ventilated crawl spaces during the winter months. The American Red Cross says to add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces, and to keep garage doors closed if water lines run through the garage. Moving exposed pipes is a plumber's job; the Red Cross suggests considering it, and a licensed plumber is the right person to ask.
Find Your Main Water Shutoff Now
IBHS says to know where your home's water shutoff valve is and how to operate it, and the EPA says to learn how to shut off the water valves in case a pipe bursts. Our guide to finding and turning off your main water shut-off valve shows you where to look. If you rent, ask your landlord or property manager where the shutoff is and who to call about heat.
Have the Heating System Checked
IBHS warns that a broken heating system can make a home dangerously cold and cause pipes to freeze, and recommends scheduling maintenance once a year. It is much easier to have this done in the fall than during a cold snap.
On the Coldest Nights
When the forecast turns very cold, a few small habits help. No agency gives a single temperature at which to start, so the sources say "very cold" or "extreme cold" and so do we. Our post on freezing temperatures for pipes covers why.
- Let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. The American Red Cross says running water, even a trickle, helps prevent freezing. The EPA says to leave taps on exterior walls slightly open so they drip.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warmer air reaches the plumbing. Move cleaners and chemicals out of children's reach (the EPA adds pets).
- Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. The American Red Cross says your heating bill may be higher, but it can prevent a much more costly repair if pipes freeze and burst.
- Set the thermostat to a minimum of 55°F before winter weather, as IBHS advises. The EPA says not to set the indoor temperature too low.
- Keep the garage door closed if water lines run through the garage.
If You Will Be Away or Lose Heat
If you are going away in cold weather, the American Red Cross says to leave the heat on, set no lower than 55°F. IBHS says that if you will be away for more than a week and below-freezing temperatures are ongoing or forecast, you can consider closing the main valve slowly and letting a couple of faucets drain on the lowest floor.
Power outages can also lead to frozen pipes. During an outage, IBHS says to open cabinet doors and let faucets drip. Our guide on how to keep pipes from freezing without heat or power covers outages and empty homes, including the safety steps for a cold house.
Check your homeowners or renters policy for any conditions about heating the home or shutting off the water while it is empty, and ask your insurance agent if you are unsure. We cannot tell you what your policy covers.
If a Pipe Freezes Anyway
If only a trickle comes out of a faucet, suspect a frozen pipe. Before you start, know where your main water shutoff is. Keep the faucet open and thaw slowly with safe heat: the American Red Cross lists an electric heating pad, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater kept away from flammable materials, or towels soaked in hot water. Never use a blowtorch, a kerosene or propane heater, a charcoal stove or any other open flame, and never use an electric appliance while standing in water (CDC). If the pipe has burst, or any leak appears as it thaws, close the main shutoff at once (EPA, IBHS), as long as you can reach it without standing in water near outlets, cords or the electrical panel. Check the other faucets too, because if one pipe freezes, others may as well. If you cannot find, reach or thaw the frozen section, call a licensed plumber. Our guide to how to unfreeze pipes safely has the full steps.
For the full order of steps after a burst, including electrical safety, follow the checklist in what to do when a pipe bursts.
When Frozen Pipes Need a Water Damage Professional
Preventing a freeze does not always work, and a frozen pipe sometimes bursts or leaks as it thaws. It is time to call a water damage professional if:
- A pipe burst or leaked as it thawed.
- Water reached walls, ceilings, insulation or floors.
- The leak was inside a wall or ceiling where you cannot dry it yourself.
The EPA says that if pipes burst and walls and flooring are wet, you should fix the leak promptly and dry everything completely, and that water-damaged areas should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. The plumber repairs the pipe; a water damage professional removes the water and dries the structure. IBHS also points to a restoration service for water removal before mold becomes an issue.
That second part is our work. Read more about frozen pipe water damage and our burst pipe cleanup on our service pages, or see all of our water damage restoration services. We offer 24/7 emergency restoration service. If a pipe has already frozen and leaked, call Romexterra Restoration at (312) 549-9620.
