If you don’t prevent water pipes from freezing inside your house, you could easily incur thousands of dollars worth of damage in short order. Prevention is key! A few steps in the fall season put in place can save you money and a bunch of heartache.

Steps for Freeze Prevention

To prevent water pipes from freezing, follow these steps:

1. Keep the temperature in your home above freezing. Set the thermostat to at least 55°F, even when you are away from home.
2. Insulate your pipes. Use pipe insulation or heating tape to wrap any exposed pipes, especially those that are in unheated areas such as basements, attics, and crawl spaces.
3. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off the water supply to outdoor faucets. This will help prevent the water in the pipes from freezing and expanding, which can cause the pipes to burst.
4. Open cabinet doors to allow heat to reach pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
5. Keep garage doors closed, especially if there are water supply lines in the garage.
6. If you will be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off the main water supply valve and drain the pipes to prevent them from freezing.
7. Consider installing a freeze alarm. These alarms will send a notification to your phone or email if the temperature in your home drops below a certain level, allowing you to take action before the pipes freeze.

By following these steps, you can help prevent your pipes from freezing and avoid the costly damage that can result from frozen pipes.

Use Heat Cable for Added Freeze Protection

To install a heat cable around exposed water pipes in your garage:

1. Measure the length of the exposed pipes that you need to protect. Purchase a heat cable that is long enough to wrap around all of the pipes.
2. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to attach the heat cable to the pipes. This may involve securing the cable to the pipes with cable ties or adhesive tape.
3. Plug the heat cable into a nearby electrical outlet. Make sure that the outlet is working properly and that it is not controlled by a light switch or timer.
4. Set the thermostat on the heat cable to the correct temperature. The heat cable should be set to turn on at a temperature that is slightly above freezing (around 35°F to 40°F) to prevent the pipes from freezing.
5. Test the heat cable to make sure it is working properly. You should be able to feel warmth coming from the cable after it has been on for a few minutes.
6. Insulate the pipes and heat cable. Use pipe insulation or heating tape to wrap the heat cable and the pipes to help keep them warm.

By following these steps, you can effectively use a heat cable to prevent your water pipes from freezing in your garage.

Freeze Protection While Away From Home

To prevent water pipes from freezing while you are away from home for an extended period of time:

1. Set the thermostat in your home to at least 55°F. This will help to keep the interior of your home warm enough to prevent the pipes from freezing.
2. Insulate your pipes. Use pipe insulation or heating tape to wrap any exposed pipes, especially those that are in unheated areas such as basements, attics, and crawl spaces.
3. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off the water supply to outdoor faucets. This will help prevent the water in the pipes from freezing and expanding, which can cause the pipes to burst.
4. Open cabinet doors to allow heat to reach pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
5. Keep garage doors closed, especially if there are water supply lines in the garage.
6. If you have a heat cable installed on your pipes, make sure it is turned on and set to the correct temperature.
7. Consider leaving a small trickle of water running from a faucet on an outside wall. The moving water will help to prevent the pipes from freezing. NOTE: Ensure that this drain pipe is not subject to below freezing temperatures such as drain pipes in an exterior wall or those pipes which travel through a crawl space. In such instances, the water trickling through the drain pipe could freeze and block the trickling water from the faucet and overflow the sink causing flooding.
8. If you will be away for an extended period of time, shut off the main water supply valve and drain the pipes to prevent them from freezing.

By following these steps, you can help prevent your pipes from freezing while you are away from home.