Where pipes freeze first
- Kitchen sinks on outside walls, especially facing the lake or prevailing wind
- Lines running through garages, crawlspaces and unheated porches
- Basement rim joists where the floor meets the foundation
- Outdoor taps that were not shut off and drained
- Additions built over crawlspaces or slabs
Before the cold arrives
- Shut off and drain every outdoor tap from inside the house.
- Caulk or foam any openings where a pipe crosses an outer wall.
- Fit foam pipe insulation on exposed lines in cold areas.
- Check that basement windows close tightly.
- Locate the main valve and test that it still moves.
Away for the holidays? Keep the heat at a moderate setting, never off, and ask someone to check the house during a deep freeze.
During a cold snap
- Prop open sink cupboards that sit against outer walls.
- Leave a thin trickle running from the coldest tap through the night.
- Shut the overhead garage door on bitter nights.
If a pipe freezes
Open the affected tap. Apply mild heat, such as a hair dryer or hot towels, beginning by the tap and moving back along the line. Keep torches and lighters away. Can't locate the ice plug, or see water once things thaw? Then close the main valve and call for burst pipe repair.
Longer-term fixes
Pipes that freeze every winter are better moved into heated space, or insulated properly where they are. A frost-free outdoor tap removes one of the most common risks.