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Protect Against Frozen Pipes in Austin

Freezing weather is back! What you need to know to protect your home.

frozen water valve

Frozen water inside pipes can lead to them bursting.

Frozen pipes can lead to burst pipes, which can flood your home with water causing thousands of dollars of damage to your walls, carpets, ceiling and furniture. Burst pipes occur when the water inside of them freezes and expands. What are the steps you should take here in the Austin area to protect against frozen pipes? We list off the major preventative measures you should take so you can rest easy.

Avoid frozen pipes in Austin

  1. Wrap outdoor pipes and faucets with rags, towels or plastic foam
  2. Make sure the lid for your outdoor water meter box is on tight.  You may consider insulating with a towel if it is going to be a hard freeze. (The outdoor water meter is generally by the curb with a circular cast iron lid here in Austin).
  3. Cover vents around your home’s foundation (if your home is on pier and beam).
  4. Disconnect water hoses from your faucets, drain and store inside.
  5. If you have a swimming pool, drain the circulation systems (or if it’s a short freeze you can keep the pump motor running, but running the motor for too long may cause damage to it).
  6. Drain any water sprinkler supply lines.
  7. Open the doors of your cabinets under sinks in your kitchen and bathrooms to allow air to circulate through and warm the water pipes underneath.
  8. Keep your home heated to at least 55 degrees (more relevant if you are away from your home for an extended period of time).
  9. Allow your indoor faucets to drip, it doesn’t need to be a steady stream, just a slow drip.
  10. Know where the shutoff valve is for your home and how to turn it on and off.
  11. If you are leaving town and know cold, possibly freezing weather, is in the immediate future consider turning off your water at the shut-off valve and turn on faucets to drain your pipes.  Be sure to turn the faucets back off before turning the shut-off valve on again.
  12. If you do decide to turn your water off at the shut-off valve to drain your pipes, you should contact your gas or electric company to get instructions on how to protect your water heater.

What Should you do if your pipes freeze or burst?

  1. The first thing you need to do is turn the water off at the shut-off valve.  Call a plumber to help locate and repair the broken pipe.  Do not turn the water back on at the shut-off valve until the pipe is repaired.
  2. If a pipe is frozen, but has not burst or cracked, thaw it out slowly with a hair dryer, heating pad or by soaking a towel with warm water. Slowly move the heat source to the coldest area of the pipe as concentrating heat in one spot can cause the ice to crack and shatter the pipe.  Then turn the pipe on and let if run until the pipe is thawed and water pressure is normal again.
  3. Do not use open flame devices such as a blowtorch.  These are fire risks.