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How to protect your water pipes from freezing:
If you will be going out of town:
- Shut off your water service valve at the house.
- Drain all faucets inside and outside and leave open.
- Set gas water heater thermostat to vacation. If electric water heater, shut the breaker off.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks and lavatories and open the attic stairway to allow heated air in those areas. Turn the heat to a lower temperature but do not turn it off.
- Wrap your outside water service where you turned the water off with newspapers, blankets, towels and/or pipe insulation. Install electrically heated tape if available.
- When you get back call us to turn your water back on. We will flush the system and check your piping for any freeze damage.
If you need to protect your home, and still be able to use water:
- Wrap your outside water service where it enters your home with newspaper, blankets, towels and/or pipe insulation. Install electrically heated tape if available.
- Wrap all outside faucets using the same methods, including vacuum breaker valves if you have a pool and/or sprinkler system.
- Open the cabinet doors under all sinks and lavatories to allow the heated air inside cabinets.
- Open the pull down stairway or attic doors to allow heat in the attic space.
Following these instructions is no guarantee that your pipes will not freeze, but it should minimize the severity.
If your pipes freeze, call your professional plumber. Do not leave your house unattended. If your pipes start to thaw you could experience busted water pipes, causing serious flooding inside your home.