how do you take care of pipes in the winter

1. Insulate Your Pipes. Your home has pipes that run under your home, in your walls, and all around the house. Some pipes even run in cement slabs.
2. Keep the Faucets Dripping. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, yet it seems to work so well. ...
3. Heat Pipes with Heat Tape. Heat tape is another effective way to protect your pipes from the winter’s chill. Make sure that you select a UL approved tape.
4. Open All Cabinet Doors. Another little trick that you can do that won’t cost a dime is to open the cabinet doors. ...
5. Cover or Turn off the Outdoor Faucet. Your outside faucet relates to the plumbing inside the home. ...
Cycle Your Washer. Your laundry room probably doesn’t have a faucet that you can leave dripping. However, running your washing machine is just as good.
Winterize Your Home. Depending on the age of your home, you probably have some leaks that need to be sealed. ...

How do you get water out of pipes in the winter?

A closed tap could create a vacuum that will hold water inside of pipes. All valves and taps should remain open throughout the winter. Using air compressors, blow excess water standing out of the pipes. Open the drain valve in your hot water tank and let it discharge until it is empty.

How do I winterize my plumbing?

Winterizing plumbing is recommended when a house will be vacant for a long period of time and no water will be running through the pipes. The winterizing process involves emptying the water heater, draining all water from the pipes, and filling all fixtures with an antifreeze solution. Begin with a plan for winterizing your plumbing.

How do I Keep my pipes from freezing?

Here are the steps to take to keep pipes from freezing. First things first: Get the water in your pipes out! To do that, you’ll want to tackle all the water lines leading to your garden hose, sprinkler, and pool.

Is heat tape the best way to winterize plumbing?

Heat tape is one of the preferred methods for winterizing plumbing, but be aware that these might bring additional hazards. The U.S. CPSC has provided safety recommendations for homeowners using heat tapes to help prevent fires.

How do I protect my pipes in the winter?

Insulate pipes in your home's crawl spaces, attic, and garage. ... Wrap pipes with heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables. ... Seal leaks that allow cold air inside, near where pipes are located (i.e. around electrical wiring, dryer vents, other pipes), with caulk or insulation.More items...

What do you do with pipes in the winter?

Use our checklist to winterize your plumbing.Insulate pipes. Pipes in unheated areas like a crawl space, garage, or attic are susceptible to freezing temperatures. ... Shut off outdoor faucets. ... Open cabinet doors. ... Check furnace or HVAC unit. ... Run water. ... Inspect the exterior.

How do I make sure my pipes don't freeze in the winter?

10 Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes in WinterInsulate Pipes. The best way to keep your pipes from freezing is to purchase specifically designed pipe insulation. ... Keep Garage Doors Closed. ... Open Cabinets. ... Let Faucets Drip. ... Keep the Thermostat Consistent. ... Seal Cracks and Openings. ... Leave the Heat On. ... Open Interior Doors.More items...

Should you let all faucets drip during freeze?

should you leave a faucet dripping? Yes, it's recommended you leave a faucet on with water at a drip to keep pipes from freezing. If you know where the water comes into your house, turn on a faucet at the opposite end to keep the water circulating.

Should you drip your faucets?

Yes, You Should Drip Your Faucet in Cold Weather Running water through the pipe—even at a trickle—helps prevent pipes from freezing." And while that may cause concern for those of you who like to keep your water bills low each month, letting your faucet drip may save you a bigger bill for repairing your pipes.

Should outside faucets be left open or closed in winter?

If you have conventional exterior faucets (AKA sillcock, hose bib, exterior spigot, etc.), you should have a shutoff valve inside which should be closed before freezing temperatures hit.

Do you let hot or cold water drip to keep pipes from freezing?

When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.

How long can a house go without heat before pipes freeze?

roughly 6-hoursThe rule of the thumb is that it takes roughly 6-hours for water in your pipe to freeze after left in an unheated area. Meaning if you lose power at your home and the weather is reaching below freezing point, you have approximately 6-hours until the pipes will begin to freeze.

At what temperature should you drip faucets?

When a cold snap hovers around or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius), it's time to let at least one faucet drip. Pay close attention to water pipes that are in attics, garages, basements or crawl spaces because temperatures in these unheated interior spaces usually mimic outdoor temperatures.

Will moving water freeze in pipes?

Moving water needs much lower temperatures to freeze than standing water, although it is still possible for them to freeze. And don't forget to turn off all the taps in the morning.

How much drip Do I need to prevent frozen pipes?

one gallon per hourA dripping faucet wastes some water, so only pipes vulnerable to freezing (ones that run through an unheated or unprotected space) should be left with the water flowing. The drip can be very slight. A flow of one gallon per hour is enough to prevent freezing.

How cold does it have to be for pipes to freeze?

As a general rule, temperatures outside must drop to at least 20 degrees or lower to cause pipes to freeze. In northern climates, where the temperatures regularly fall below freezing, modern homes tend to be well insulated and water pipes are located on the inner parts of the house for extra protection.

How to avoid low-temperature complications

The best way to keep your pipes safe during winter days with especially low temperatures is to insulate them. Be sure to close outside doors and windows, and fill cracks in walls and around windows to eliminate cold drafts near water pipes. By heating up the pipes locally, you can avoid fissures, breaks, and other worse complications.

Keep your pipes dry in extreme temperatures

Even if you won't be using the house, you still need to take care of the pipes during winter. The best way to avoid any complication is to drain your water pipes. This way, there will be no water inside that can freeze can cause problems.

Seal all rim joists closely

If you have space around your pipes, then they will be more exposed to the cold. You have to seal off any cracks and holes with expandable foam to make sure that you don't have problem areas in your piping. These exposed areas are prone to bursting because the insulation is less efficient.

Take care of your pipes from indoors as well

There are a few more things you can do to keep your pipes safe and you can do them without getting out of the house. Be sure to close outside doors and windows, and fill cracks in walls and around windows to eliminate cold drafts near water pipes. Open the doors to all the cabinets where you have plumbing, like your kitchen, for instance.

Insulate Your Pipes

The best way you can get your pipes ready for the first real cold snap of winter is by insulating them. This is especially good advice if you have pipes located in unheated areas of your home such as the attic, garage or basement. You can find relatively cheap pipe insulation (ranging from $2 to $11) in your nearest home improvement store.

Consider Freeze-Proof Faucets

If you have outdoor faucets, consider insulating them as well or replacing them with freeze-proof faucets. Faucet insulation caps or covers are priced between $4 to $8 dollars and can be easily installed over outdoor faucets when they are not being used. You can purchase Styrofoam covers, hard covers or nylon covers.

Shut off Outdoor Faucets

When you hear about temperatures dropping significantly, you might want to shut your outdoor faucets off completely. Outdoor faucets are particularly vulnerable to any harsh winter conditions. Turn these faucets off at their shut off valves.

Have a Freeze-Warning Plan of Action

If you get an alert about temperature drops, you will want to follow a plan of action to prevent your pipes from freezing over. Here are some things you should keep in mind when you hear of a freeze warning: