Prepare for a winter freeze

Inside the house

• Pipe insulation will slow down the freezing process, so use it to wrap any exposed pipes indoors, especially in unheated or drafty areas. Start in your attic and then work your way down throughout the house.
• Tightly close doors and windows to the outside.

Outside the house

• Turn off outside faucets
• Remove all connected hoses and insulate hose bib with insulation, a cover or towels and duct tape.
• Turn off and drain automatic sprinkler systems.

If you have an underground sprinkler system

• Make sure the pipes coming up next to the house are insulated.
• Turn the valve off and drain the pipes. You won’t be able to get all the water out, but removing 1/2 to 3/4 of the water gives it room to expand if it does freeze.

To turn off the whole house water supply

• Make sure everyone in your residence knows where the homeowner’s water main shutoff valve is located and keep it clear of debris and obstacles at all times.
• For most homes in our service area, the property owner’s shutoff valve is on your side of the water meter. It can usually be found in the ground about  12-18 in from the meter in your own smaller valve box. No special tool is needed to operate this valve. Turn the valve 90 degrees to shut it off.
• If you are not sure if you have an inside shutoff valve, check the property inspection report from when you purchased your residence. For renters, please consult with your property manager.
• After you have shut off the valve, drain the water out of the faucets, inside and outside

During the freeze

• If you have a fireplace, get a nice cozy fire going to warm up the house.
• Instead of leaving water dripping all the time, open the faucets periodically to get some water circulating. Do both hot and cold water, in every room of the house, including faucets and commodes. Don’t drip outside pipes.
• Outside doors keep the warm air in, so don’t go in and out of the doors a lot.

Emergency supplies

• Insulation – Use pipe insulation, or old towels and duct tape
• Hose bib covers
• Battery-powered radio and flashlight
• Enough drinking water for 1 gallon per person per day for 7 days

Preparation guides

• Tips for preparing your house and pipes
• Winter weather prep tips (PDF, 2 pages)
• Winter weather prep tips (PDF, 1 page)