Looking for Ways to Prevent Pipes from Freezing?

Make sure you take the following precautions:

Prevent Pipes From Freezing: Precautions to Take Inside the House

Inside the house, locate pipes that are at risk of freezing. In most cases, these are pipes located in the crawl space, basement, or along exterior walls. To protect these pipes, be sure to:

• Open cabinets on fixtures so the warm air can get to the pipes. For example, your pipes under sinks may be sitting in a cold cabinet, but opening the cabinet doors will keep them warm enough.
• Keep house temperature at least 55 degrees, including in your basement. Use a circulating fan to get warm air to colder parts of your home.
• Insulate pipes. Use a pipe sleeve or heat tape for maximum insulation, but you can even use wall insulation or newspaper in a pinch. Learn how to insulate pipes here with these step by step instructions.

Prevent Pipes From Freezing: Precautions to Take Outside the House

Outside the house, locate pipes that are at risk of freezing. Then take the following actions:

• Again, insulate pipes. You can even use wall insulation or newspaper in a pinch.
• Make sure hoses are drained and disconnected from the outdoor faucets.
• Leave water running (just a low trickle) on exterior wall faucets (this will prevent water from freezing).
• Make sure air vents are closed for crawl spaces so air from outside doesn’t get into crawl space.
• Keep the garage door closed.
• Install hose bib insulating boxes.
• Make sure outdoor storage closets are closed that house water heaters and pipes.

If you’ve already got a frozen pipe, learn how to thaw a frozen pipe here. Watch for cracked pipes during the winter, when leaks can go undetected and cost you a lot of money in water bills and possible water damage to your home.

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Take steps to prevent pipes from freezing this winter.

Article Summary

Quick question & answer: How can I prevent pipes inside my house from freezing?

You can prevent pipes inside your house from freezing by opening cabinets so warm air can get to the pipes. Keep your home’s temperature at a minimum of 55 degrees, including in your basement. Use a circulating fan to get warm air to colder parts of your home. Insulate pipes with a pipe sleeve or heat tape.