Getting your house ready for cold weather:
- Disconnect and drain all garden hoses and any lawn sprinkler water supply lines. Make sure to shut off the supply valves to the outdoor spigots (usually right inside the crawlspace or basement). Once they are shut off from the inside open the outdoor spigot to let it drain.
- Make sure any water supply lines in unheated areas are at least insulated and any drafts or outside air leaks are sealed off. Inexpensive pipe insulation can be found at most home centers.
- Remember to keep garage doors closed during freezing temperatures. Many homes have water lines in the garage ceiling that could quickly freeze.
- If you are concerned about a water line possibly freezing you can open a faucet and let the water trickle out. The moving water will keep the supply line from quickly freezing. This is just a temporary remedy until a permanent solution is worked out.
- If you have lines that are already frozen try these:
- If the frozen lines are in a cabinet or crawlspace try raising the temperature in the house. Open the cabinet doors and use a fan to blow air from the warm area into the cold space.
- Use a hair dryer as a blower and aim it at the frozen pipes.