Here’s what to keep an eye on:
- Outdoor hose bibs, pool supply lines, lawn sprinkler lines exposed to weather.
- Water pipes in unheated areas like basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages, kitchen cabinets.
- Pipes along exterior walls with little or no insulation.
How to keep pipes from freezing:
- Close inside valves that supply outdoor hose bibs. Allow hose bibs to drain and then keep their valves open.
- Add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces.
- Look in the garage and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets for water lines in unheated spaces.
- Insulate both hot and cold water pipes in those areas.
- Check your hardware store for products like pipe sleeves or heat tape to insulate exposed water pipes.
- Keep your garage door closed if there are any water lines inside.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around the plumbing.
- When it’s very cold out, let the cold water drip from any faucets served by exposed pipes.
- Set your thermostat for the same temperature day and night.
- If you are going away, set the heat to 55°
How to Thaw Frozen Pipes
- Keep the faucet open.
- Apply heat to the section of pipe most exposed to the cold using a heating pad, a hair dryer, a space heater or with towels soaked in hot water.
- Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you can’t thaw the pipe, call a plumber.
- Check all the faucets in your home to see if you have other frozen pipes.