Keep the heat on, let cold water drip from faucets on outside walls, open sink cabinets, and shut off and drain outdoor spigots. If you're leaving, keep the heat no lower than 55°F, and know that an unheated home can change how your insurance treats a burst pipe.
Before the cold hits
- Disconnect garden hoses and shut off and drain outdoor spigots.
- Insulate pipes in crawl spaces, attics, garages and along outside walls. Foam pipe sleeves from a hardware store work.
- Seal drafts near pipes, like gaps where pipes go through outside walls.
- Find your main water shutoff so you can close it fast. See how to find it.
On the coldest nights
- Let cold water drip from faucets fed by exposed pipes or pipes in outside walls.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warm air reaches the plumbing.
- Keep the thermostat steady day and night instead of turning it down.
- Keep the garage door closed if water lines run through the garage.
If you're going away
Leave the heat on, set no lower than 55°F. For a longer trip or a vacant home, consider shutting off the main and draining the lines, and ask someone to check the house.
Why this matters for insurance
Homeowners policies usually cover water damage when a pipe freezes and bursts. Many exclude it when the home was left without heat, unless the water was shut off and the pipes drained. Read your policy's freezing section before a long trip.
If a pipe already froze or burst
See how to thaw a frozen pipe safely, or what to do after a frozen pipe bursts.
Source: American Red Cross, Preventing and thawing frozen pipes.
Common questions
Should I drip hot or cold water?
The Red Cross guidance is to let cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes. Moving water is harder to freeze.
What temperature do pipes freeze at?
Water freezes at 32°F, but pipes in unheated or drafty spaces can freeze when the house feels warm. Pipes on outside walls and in crawl spaces are most at risk.
Does insurance cover burst pipes in a vacant home?
Often not, unless heat was kept on or the water was shut off and drained. Check the freezing and vacancy sections of your policy.