Guide
Preventing Pipe Bursts in Cold and Shoulder Seasons
Quick answer
Insulation, drip strategies, and shutoff awareness for homeowners.
Know your shutoff valves
Every adult in the home should know how to shut off water quickly. Label the main valve and test that it turns.
Cold-weather habits
- Insulate exposed pipes in garages and crawlspaces
- Open cabinet doors during extreme cold to warm plumbing
- Maintain heat in vacant rooms
- Disconnect and drain hoses from outdoor spigots
Shoulder-season surprises
Heat pumps and transitional weather still produce freeze events in some regions. Prevention is cheaper than mitigation.