Prepare your pipes for cold weather

Prepare before water stops flowing

Start with the pipes and fixtures you already know are exposed to cold: an outdoor faucet, plumbing in an unheated garage, or a run beside an exterior wall. The American Red Cross identifies these and other unheated spaces as common trouble spots. You do not need to enter a cramped or unsafe space to complete a checklist.

If water is already escaping, preparation can wait. Use the burst-pipe call checklist, stay clear of wet electrical equipment and report the active leak first. A faucet producing little water during cold weather is a reason to investigate, not proof that a particular pipe has frozen.

Before freezing weather arrives

1. Disconnect and store outdoor hoses. Follow the installed outdoor fixture or irrigation system instructions for shutdown and drainage.
2. Arrange insulation for exposed pipes in unheated areas; identify inaccessible runs for a professional assessment.
3. Find the household water shutoff and learn its operation before an incident. Ask for help if it is stuck or its purpose is uncertain.
4. Keep the building manager or responsible property contact informed about known vulnerable areas.
5. Keep the actual water supplier's contact details and current service notices available.

While the home is occupied

Red Cross guidance recommends keeping garage doors closed where supply pipes are present and keeping the thermostat steady through very cold weather. Opening sink cabinet doors can let room heat reach plumbing; move cleaning products out of children's reach first. Its advice also includes allowing a small cold-water trickle at a faucet served by exposed piping during extreme cold.

Use advice appropriate to your system and follow current instructions from your water supplier. A room thermostat cannot confirm the temperature of a concealed pipe. If the same area has frozen before, ask what protection is needed there instead of assuming warmer rooms have resolved it.

Leaving the property empty?

The Red Cross recommends leaving heat on at no less than 55°F when away in cold weather. Arrange for someone to check the property and know whom to contact if heating fails or water appears. Record access arrangements without publishing keys, alarm details or an empty-home schedule online.

A full drain-down is a separate job. Michigan's emergency-preparedness guidance warns that shutting off a home's water can also disable its fire-sprinkler system. Discuss connected equipment and fire protection with the responsible professionals before agreeing to a shutdown. Ask for the preparation and restart steps in writing.

One faucet stops working, or the whole supply is lost?

Note which outlets are affected during ordinary use, whether hot and cold differ and when the change began. Portland Water Bureau's winter guidance distinguishes partial outlet loss from a property-wide supply problem. Check notices from your own supplier and contact it about a widespread interruption; Portland's reporting arrangements apply to Portland customers.

Do not use a torch or open flame to thaw a pipe, or electrical appliances in standing water. If the frozen area is inaccessible or you cannot identify it, arrange professional help. Do not open walls just to look. The weak-flow guide helps you report the pattern without assuming the cause.

Questions for a winter-preparation visit

List any previous freezing location, the equipment affected and what was changed afterward. Ask which exposed runs the visit covers, which concealed areas remain unassessed and whether outdoor fixtures need a model-specific procedure.

For insulation, relocation or other proposed work, request the materials, access and finish repairs included. Ask who handles restart and what you should observe afterward. Keep those findings with your equipment records so next winter's visit does not start from memory.

Call about frozen-pipe concerns

Say whether this is preparation, a loss of water or an active leak. Give the affected outlets and any utility findings, then confirm the visit charge and appointment details.