ALERT: INCLEMENT WEATHER ADVISORY

Open the cupboards below your sinks.  Keep the pipes under your sink warm by opening your cupboards. This will allow the temperature below your sink to be the same as it is in your house, which should help keep the pipes from freezing.

Allow the faucets to trickle in below-freezing temperatures.  When the temperatures dip below freezing, make sure you crack the faucets on your sink to allow some water to trickle out.  Moving water takes much longer to freeze. You don’t have to open the tap all the way, but there should be a steady trickle coming from the faucet.

Leave the temperature on at least 55 °F if you go out.  If you’re going to be away from home for a while, resist the temptation to turn the heat off. It might save you a little money on your power bill, but if your pipes freeze, you’ll pay a lot more to repair the damage.

Detach your garden hoses before a freeze.  Water in your garden hose can freeze all the way up to the spigot and inside of your pipes. Prevent this by making sure you detach all of your hoses before a hard freeze.

Wrap insulation or heat tape around outdoor spigots.  After you’ve detached your hoses, wrap the spigots in insulation or heat tape to help protect them from freezing temperatures.

If you don’t have insulation or heat tape on hand, try wrapping a heavy dish cloth or towel around your spigot, then hold it in place with duct tape. Keep your garage doors closed.  This is especially important if you have water pipes running through your garage. Closing the door will allow your garage to absorb more of the heat from your home. Even a difference of just a few degrees can sometimes make the difference when it comes to freezing pipes.

Know where your water meter is and your indoor water shutoff valve, and keep it free from clutter. If your pipes do freeze, they can burst, creating a flood.  If this happens, you’ll need to be able to get to the water main quickly to reduce damage to your home. Locate your water meter before the weather freezes and make sure there’s nothing around it that would prevent you from reaching it in an emergency.

If you turn on your sinks and no water or only a small trickle comes out, it’s probably due to a frozen pipe. Turn off your water main and call a plumber.

Finally, if you have a crawl space or unfinished basement that your water pipes are running through, make sure they are properly insulated.  If it is an unfinished basement, you can also place a heat source in the unfinished area to keep the temperature above freezing.