How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

Prevention costs an evening; a burst pipe costs a week and a claim. These are the moves that actually work.

Common causes

• Uninsulated exterior wall runs
• Unheated basement or garage plumbing
• Outdoor hose left connected to bib
• Poorly sealed rim joist and wall penetrations

Step-by-step

1. 01Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses; shut off and drain hose bibs
2. 02Insulate exposed pipes in the basement, garage, and attic
3. 03Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls during cold snaps
4. 04Let a pencil-thin stream drip from the furthest faucet on the coldest nights

When to call Northbridge

• You want frost-free hose bibs installed
• Pipes need to be relocated out of exterior walls
• Heat trace or pipe insulation install
• History of freezing in the same spot every winter