How to keep pipes from freezing
Middle Tennessee doesn't freeze often, which is exactly why many homes here aren't ready when it does. A few minutes before a cold snap can save thousands.
Before a hard freeze
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor faucets with foam covers.
- Close crawl space vents and make sure the crawl space door shuts tight.
- Open sink cabinet doors on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
- Let a faucet on an outside wall drip slowly overnight, both hot and cold.
- Keep the heat at 55°F or higher, even if you're away.
- Know where your main water shutoff is, and make sure it turns.
Pipes most at risk
Pipes in crawl spaces, unheated garages and attics, and along outside walls freeze first. Foam pipe insulation from a hardware store is cheap and quick to install on any you can reach.
If a pipe freezes
Open the faucet it feeds, then warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer, heating pad or space heater kept at a safe distance. Never use an open flame. If you can't find the frozen spot, or water starts leaking as it thaws, shut off the main and call a plumber.
A burst pipe repair often runs $200 to $3,000, with water damage cleanup on top of that, according to Angi.