As a homeowner, when you leave your home for an extended time during the colder months, you should take care to protect your investment and save yourself some headaches. After all, no one wants to come back from a trip to frozen or burst pipes and water damage!

Whether you’re visiting loved ones for the holidays or planning a winter vacation, you’ll want to make sure you keep your plumbing in mind. Prepare a little before your trip, and you’ll be able to come home to free-flowing pipes and no mess or headaches.

How to Keep Your Pipes from Freezing

Pipes can freeze once temperatures get below 32°F. While they probably won’t burst until temperatures drop to 20°F, we recommend checking the weather forecast for your home before you leave for your trip. If temperatures are approaching 32°F, take the following steps to prevent frozen pipes while you’re away:

Keep Your Heat On – You may be tempted to try to save money by turning off your heat while you’re away, but we don’t recommend this. Set your heat to at least 55°F to prevent your pipes from freezing. But even if you keep the heat on, you should still put a plan into place to protect your pipes in case of a power outage or furnace failure.
Shut Off Your Water – The valve to turn off the water is usually on the side of your home that faces the street. It may also be found near your water heater. Shut off the water to your home entirely and follow the rest of these steps, and there will be no water in the pipes to freeze.
Drain Your Water Heater – Turn off your gas or electric water heater, and then drain it.
Drain the Pipes – Turn on your taps and flush all your toilets. If you can’t drain your pipes completely, you may want to keep one or two faucets running at a drip to keep the pipes from freezing.
Drain Appliances – Unplug and drain appliances, including washing machines, dishwashers, and more. Keep your refrigerator plugged in, but unplug and drain the water line connected to your ice maker.
Insulate Your Pipes – This is a solution that can benefit you even after you get home! Buy pipe insulation from your local hardware store and wrap any exterior pipes as well as pipes in unheated areas.
Get Antifreeze – While you’re shopping for pipe insulation, purchase some plumbing antifreeze, which can be used in your toilet bowl and tank, bathtub, and sinks.
Check Outside Plumbing – If you have outdoor plumbing, like an outdoor spigot, be sure to drain it and cover it with a faucet cover (which you can also purchase at your local hardware store).
Get an Inspection – If you’re not sure where to find your water valve, how to safely drain your water heater, or how to insulate your pipes, call a professional plumber to inspect your system and help you prep your plumbing before you leave.

Call Us for All Your Winter Plumbing Needs

Taking these steps may seem like a lot of work, but a burst pipe and the resulting water damage will be a lot more inconvenient and expensive than this preparation. But if this prep work is more than you can take on, RedFin Plumbing Co. is here to help. We can identify where your water shutoff valve is and drain your appliances for you without damaging them. If you need help with this process, just give us a call. And should the worst happen and you experience frozen or burst pipes, we can help you put the damage right.

In addition to helping you prevent and recover from frozen pipes, the team at RedFin Plumbing Co. can assist you with repiping, plumbing installation, water heater repairs and replacement, and plumbing repairs.

Keep our number handy, and RedFin Plumbing Co. will be there to fix any plumbing in your home in Houston, TX or the surrounding area. We have been serving homeowners since 2000 and can handle any of your plumbing problems.