Worried about frozen pipes this winter? A cold snap can freeze or even burst your pipes. While water supply lines can freeze any time the temperature falls below 32° F, it usually needs to be much colder. How warm it is inside your home is just as important as the temperature outside. We explain how to keep pipes from freezing. Plus, we cover how cold it has to be in your house for the pipes to freeze.
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How Cold Does It Have To Be for Pipes To Freeze?
Although water freezes at 32° F, it usually needs to be at least 20° F before your pipes freeze. However, windchills can cause frozen pipes at temperatures below 40° F.
Wind gusts can cause the temperature to drop by as much as ten to twenty degrees. Windchill freezing is common along outside walls. This is especially true if you have cracks in your foundation or the walls are not insulated.
What Is the Minimum Temperature To Keep Pipes From Freezing?
Since you can’t control the temperature outside, focus on how cold it is inside your home. Keep the air temperature around your pipes as warm as possible.
Ideally, your home should be between 60° F to 68° F to keep pipes from freezing. And never let the temperature inside your home drop below 55° F.
If you live in a warmer climate, you should keep your above 68° because your pipes are not insulated against the freezing cold.
What Pipes Are Most Likely To Freeze?
Any pipe can freeze if it gets cold enough. However, the location of some pipes makes them more likely to freeze. Exterior pipes are more likely to freeze than interior ones. Poor insulation in your home is another factor to consider. Although less common, silicon and plastic water pipes that connect to refrigerators can also freeze. Here are the pipes that are most likely to freeze:
- Pipes near exterior walls
- Uninsulated pipes
- Pipes in unheated attics, crawl spaces, and garages
- Anywhere heat poorly circulates, like below kitchen or bathroom cabinets
- Outdoor spigots and hose bibbs
- Water sprinklers and irrigation lines
- Swimming pool lines
How Do You Prevent Frozen Pipes?
The best way to keep pipes from freezing is to winterize your home. Covering spigots and adding extra insulation can make all the difference. Also, a portable space heater offers flexible heating options.
Insulate Your Pipes
The best way to keep your pipes from freezing is to wrap them in foam sheath insulation. Cover any visible pipes, especially in garages, basements, and along outside walls. You can get pipe insulation sleeves in both rolls and pre-cut sections at most home improvement stores for around 50¢ per foot.
You may need whole-house insulation if you cannot see your pipes. Not only does this keep out cold air during the winter, but it will also keep your home cooler in the summer.
Shut off Spigots and Sprinklers
If you have a water spigot outside your home, you should shut it off and drain the water. Most spigots have a shut-off valve inside your home, so look in your basement or utility room.
Once the water is off, turn on the spigot to drain the pipe. For added protection, install a foam insulation cover over the faucet to block out cold air as well.
Do the same if you have an in-ground sprinkler system. Turn off the water and then run your sprinklers until the water stops. If you have the system on a timer, remember to shut that off too.
Keep Garage Doors Closed and Heat the Area
Closing your garage door, especially at night, is important to keep pipes from freezing. You should also add insulation to the door itself to keep your garage warmer.
If the weather is extremely cold, you should also heat your garage. Avoid using propane heaters because they create toxic gases that can suffocate you. It’s much safer to use electric heaters. Point the heater towards the back wall of the garage to prevent frozen pipes.
Open Under-Sink Cabinets
Cabinets below sinks are another place where pipes can freeze, especially when they are on an outside wall. Even in heated rooms, the cabinet doors will hold in cold air and block out the heat.
Opening the doors will help warm air circulate and keep the pipes from freezing. You should open our cabinets any time it’s extremely cold, but it’s especially important at night when temperatures are the lowest.
If it’s colder than 0° F, you should also use a portable heater. Keep the heater four to five feet away and direct the airflow inside the cabinet.
Leave Your Faucets Running
You can also leave your faucets running to prevent your pipes from freezing. Even just a slow trickle is enough to keep them from freezing.
While you can do this at any time, you should run your faucets when it’s colder than 0° F outside. Also, hot water lines are just as likely to freeze as cold lines.
If your faucet has two handles, make sure that you open them both. Set them to the center for single-handle faucets so both hot and cold water flow.
Plan Before Going on Vacation
If you are going on vacation, you should plan for cold temperatures even if it isn’t in the forecast. Before you leave, set your thermostat between 64° F and 68° F and open up under-sink cabinets.
You should also ask a friend, family member, or neighbor to check on your home. Have them walk through your home at least once a day or even have them stay overnight to keep your pipes from freezing.
Do you have water damage after a burst pipe? Pipe bursts can flood your home with hundreds of gallons of water, ruining cabinets, walls, and ceilings. Get fast, reliable cleanup from local water restoration experts. Call 1-888-443-3110 now for a free quote on water cleanup and repair.
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