Prepare your pipes for a big freeze and avoid the expense, damage, and inconvenience caused by burst pipes this winter.
Pipes can burst when stagnant water freezes and expands. Under-insulated or uninsulated pipes located in exposed areas of your home are the most vulnerable. They’re typically located in attics and crawl spaces or on outside walls. Pipes connected to outdoor spigots and outdoor sinks are especially at risk.
Prevent Pipes From Freezing
The American Red Cross recommends insulating your attic, basement, and crawl spaces to keep the air around exposed pipes warmer to prepare your pipes for a freeze.
They also recommend insulating pipes in other unheated areas, such as a garage or beneath kitchen or bathroom cabinets. Insulate both hot and cold water pipes. (Incidentally, insulated pipes also help control condensation and help retain heat.)
During really cold weather, close your garage doors to protect any water supply lines. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.
If the weather is frigid and water is trickling from the faucet, you may have a frozen pipe. To keep it from bursting, keep lukewarm water lightly flowing (you want water flowing through both hot- and cold-water pipes). You can also warm the pipes beneath the sink with a hairdryer or space heater, making sure you remove any bottles of flammable chemicals first.
You can also keep your house heated to a steady temperature, day and night, until the cold snap ends to keep pipes warm. If you leave town, set your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees F.
Know What To Do If A Pipe Bursts
If water is gushing in, you’ve got to act quickly!
Your home has a main shut-off valve and several other shut-off points throughout your home. Learn where these are before an emergency arises.
You should shut off water as close to the source as possible. Shut-off valves are typically located at toilets, beneath sinks, behind clothes washers, behind refrigerators with ice makers, and bathtubs that have exposed plumbing.
In the case of a burst pipe, you may need to shut off your water at the main valve to control flooding and damage. You can find the main shut-off valve by checking your basement: You can follow the ¾-inch plumbing pipe to find the main shut-off valve or look for a central branching system called a plumbing manifold.
You can also look on the street side of your home for a main water valve: Look for a utility box located at the boundary of your property and the street.
Once the water is off, locate the burst pipe or call a plumber to repair it. When you turn the water back on, especially from the main water valve, be sure to do so slowly to avoid further damage.