10 essential steps to winterize your home's plumbing (and when to do it)
A burst pipe can be majorly destructive. Here are tips and tricks to help winterize plumbing to prevent disaster.
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When we hear the word winterize, we often think of winter checklists like hanging holly and closing attic vents . But depending on where you live, winterizing plumbing is a big part of that list. Winterizing plumbing protects your pipes from frosts and cold snaps that can freeze them and cause catastrophic flooding in your home. While the average homeowner might not have the know-how for every winterization project, anyone with a few savvy skills can handle the basics, as well as other seasonal plumbing maintenance .
Here are some steps you can take to winterize your plumbing and when you should do them.
When to winterize plumbing
A girl fills a water bottle from an outdoor faucet
Generally, you should winterize your plumbing before the first frost of the year. Depending on where you live, this could mean early autumn. Put it on your autumn checklist, alongside fall roof maintenance chores like clearing leaves out of your gutters . Preventing frozen pipes is a distinct 'better safe than sorry' task.
How to winterize plumbing
A person installing pipe insulation on a water heater
There are several steps to properly winterize plumbing, from finding your water shutoff valve to fitting insulators over outdoor spigots and potentially installing smart water monitors.
1) Find your water shutoff valve
One of the most important things you can do to prepare for a cold snap is to find your water shutoff valve. If a pipe freezes and bursts in your wall, this valve can stop the flow, saving you from a home flood. If you discover a burst pipe, shut the water off to your home immediately.
The shutoff valve is usually located in your basement, garage, or crawl space. If you live in a new home or apartment without a water shutoff valve, you may need to call your provider to shut off the flow. If this is the case, plan for it and save this number in advance.
This valve usually has a red handle that will shut off the flow when it's turned all the way up and to the right. The Bear Valley Water District of California recommends oiling this valve yearly to ensure it's ready to shut off when needed.
2) Turn off outdoor water
Some homes have a separate outdoor water shutoff valve. If your home has a water shutoff valve that's dedicated to outdoor spigots and faucets, go ahead and shut this off entirely before the first frost. When you do, drain any water that's built up in hoses and outdoor pipes.
3) Close vents
Many homes have foundation vents that are located around the base of the building. If your home has these, close them before the cold season comes. For best results, install foam or wood insulation within them to prevent heat from leaking out.
4) Insulate outdoor spigots and faucets
Outdoor spigots and outdoor sinks are one of the most vulnerable parts of your plumbing system in freezing weather. These spigots are one of the most important components to winterize.
Start by removing hoses, draining them and storing them. Leaving water in hoses over the winter can cause their deterioration.
Spigots can be insulated with molded foam hose-bib covers that are commonly found at hardware stores and online. You can also make your own insulation with foam and cloth wrapped around spigots and held on with twine or rubber bands.
5) Caulk pipe openings and insulate
If your home isn't insulated properly, a little work on your part can help immensely. Find gaps where pipes protrude and seal them with caulk. This will keep warm air from escaping through gaps and ensure the pipes stay warmer.
Look for places where pipes may not be insulated effectively, such as in your attic or in the crawlspace beneath your home. These are all opportunities for insulation to protect pipes.
6) Keep the heat on
Leaving home can seem like an opportunity to save on your energy bill, but think again. While you don't need to blast heat, ensure that heat continues to run in your home when it's freezing outside. This will help maintain the temperature of your pipes and prevent a freeze that could cause a break.
7) Open cabinets during cold snaps
While you probably won't want to take this step for the entirety of the winter, it is useful during periods of extreme cold. Cabinet doors can prevent heat from entering spaces that house pipes, like the underside of the sink. The City of Portland, Ore. , recommends that you open cabinet doors to allow heat to circulate into these spaces during intense cold snaps, warming the pipes and reducing the likelihood of a break.
8) Replace cracked glass
The city of Philadelphia, Pa. , recommends that you look for breaks in glass windows, especially those that are near water pipes or meters, and replace the panes. If you can't replace the glass outright, patch the crack with plastic and caulk.
9) Run faucets
Circulating water is less likely to freeze than water that remains still. During very cold periods, it can be a good idea to open faucets slightly, so that water can drip out. This will allow a slight flow and reduce the likelihood of a freeze.
10) Install a smart leak detector
Smart leak detectors are one of the best smart plumbing devices on the market and monitor the flow of water into your home to detect problems and oddities. The best of them connect to your home's main water valve and are able to notify you and shut off all flow if they detect a sudden increase in water usage from a burst pipe.
What should you do if you have a frozen pipe?
A household copper water pipe that is frozen, cracked and leaking water into an unfinished basement
If you detect a frozen pipe in your home, you may be able to rescue it before it bursts. The City of Nashville recommends that you use a blow dryer, space heater or heating pad to slowly radiate heat across the pipe. Once the pipe thaws, take precautions to ensure it doesn't freeze again.
The first thing to do if a pipe bursts is to shut off the water to your home. Once the flow has been stopped, turn on all faucets in your home and flush the toilet repeatedly to drain the water held in the plumbing system. This will reduce pressure on the burst pipe and drain away water that could otherwise flow out of the break.
Should you winterize plumbing yourself?
A copper pipe with black insulation around it
We may not have all the skills we need to fully winterize plumbing ourselves. The City of Spotsylvania, Va. , recommends that homeowners consult with a plumber before making any major alterations to plumbing. That said, there are numerous online resources to teach you DIY plumbing skills .
If you live in a home that hasn't been winterized before, consulting with a plumber is always a good idea. On the other hand, if your home is properly insulated and has been winterized in years past, there are plenty of useful hacks that you can take yourself to ensure that pipes remain unfrozen.
Whether you hire a plumber to winterize your pipes or choose to do it yourself, it is a good idea to have a plumber selected before the winter months, whether for routine water heater maintenance or a sudden catastrophe, like a burst pipe.
