5 Tricks To Keep Your Pipes From Exploding This Winter

Just when we thought February was going to bring some warmer weather (not a expectation if you lived in the north!), this weekend is supposed to drop into the low-to-mid 30s overnight. (Again, I imagine someone living in the Northeast would be mocking me as they just finished a major snow storm that shut everything down)

Its probably going to be another few winters before the memories of the 2021 deep freeze in Texas fade to the back of our minds. So, with that in mind, these are some techniques you can use to give yourself a little piece of mind about freezing pipes.

1. Turn On Your Faucets If the temperatures have dropped into freezing and intend to stay there, turning on your faucets — both indoors and out — can keep water moving through your system and slow down the freezing process. There’s no need to waste gallons of water: Aim for about five drips per minute.

2. Open Cabinet Doors During cold weather, open any cabinet doors covering plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom. This allows the home’s warm air to better circulate, which can help prevent the exposed piping from freezing. While this won’t help much with pipes hidden in walls, ceilings, or under the home, it can keep water moving and limit the dangerous effects of freezing weather.

3. Wrap Your Pipes If your pipes are already on their merry way towards freezing, wrapping them with warm towels might do the trick. You can cover them with the towels first and then pour boiling water on top, or use already-wet towels — if your hands can stand the heat (use gloves for this). This should help loosen the ice inside and get your system running again.

4. Pull Out Your Hairdryer A hairdryer (or heat gun) can be a godsend when your pipes are freezing. If hot rags aren’t doing the trick, try blowing hot air directly on the pipes. Important note: You don’t want to use a blow torch or anything that produces direct flames, which can damage your pipes and turn a frozen pipe into an even worse disaster. You’re trying to melt the ice — not your pipes.

Also, depending on when you read this, you can always increase the heat circulation of your home if you have a working fireplace. I see packs of firework going for about 6 at various stores around Houston.

Contributing material came from Jamie Wiebe. She worked as a web editor for House Beautiful, ELLE Decor, and Veranda.