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1. How can I prevent my pipes from freezing?

• Disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets.
• Keep your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher, even if you're leaving the house for an extended period of time.
• Open cabinet doors below sinks to allow heat from the home to circulate.
• Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. (Learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.)
• Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or heating tape. This can prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls.
• Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
• Heat your basement and consider weather-sealing your windows.
• Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home.
• If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off the water supply valves to your washing machine.

2. How do I monitor freezing pipe conditions?

• Allow a faucet to drip slightly (lukewarm water) in order to minimize freezing.
• The first sign of freezing is reduced water flow from a faucet.
• Check your faucets for water flow and pressure before you go to sleep and again when you wake up.
• Check pipes around your water meter, in unheated areas, near exterior walls, and in crawl spaces. These tend to be vulnerable to freezing conditions.
• Identify cold air drafts coming in from a flue or chimney chase and caulk gaps that are near pipes.

3. What can I do if my pipe freezes?

• If a faucet or pipe inside your house freezes, you can thaw it using a good hair dryer. (For safety purposes, avoid operating a hair dryer around standing water.)
• To thaw a frozen pipe, heat water on the stove, soak towels in the hot water and wrap them around cold sections of the pipes.
• When thawing a pipe, start thawing it nearest to the faucet. Make sure the faucet is turned on so that melted water can drip out.

4. What do I do if a pipe bursts?

• Shut off the water at the main valve. Call the Department of Water and Sewerage emergency line at 318-673-7600.
• If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on top of the water heater should be closed.
• Call a plumber. Keep an emergency number nearby for quick access.