Before DFW's first freeze: a checklist for hoses, faucets and pipes
The National Weather Service puts the average first freeze at Dallas–Fort Worth on November 22. The earliest on record came on October 22, 18981. Pipes can freeze and burst when it gets down to 20 °F outside. Outdoor faucets are among the most at risk2. So get the house ready before the first cold night.
Nine of DFW's ten earliest first freezes came between October 22 and October 313. These steps come from Dallas Water Utilities, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the City of Fort Worth and a faucet maker.
Before the first freeze: the checklist
- Unscrew every garden hose from its outdoor faucet. Drain it and store it in a shed or garage.4,2
- Leave nothing screwed onto the faucet. A frost-proof outdoor faucet drains itself only if nothing is attached and it was installed sloping slightly down. With a hose on, water stays trapped inside, and the faucet can freeze and burst.5
- Put a hard foam cover on each outdoor faucet, or wrap it with cloth.4,2
- Wrap pipes that run outside or through cold spaces: the attic, the crawl space, the garage. Pipe sleeves are made for this.4,2
- Find your home's water shut-off valve. It is often near an outside faucet, close to the house. Learn how to turn it before you need it.4
- Have automatic sprinklers? Check for a rain and freeze sensor. In Dallas, a city rule requires one.4
When it's a job for a pro
- A pipe is frozen, or you have no water because a pipe froze. It may be cracked and burst when it thaws.6
- A frost-proof outdoor faucet leaks behind it or inside the wall the first time you use it after a freeze. Its tube may have split.5
- CrewButton doesn't check licenses. Before you hire, check the plumber's license on the state board's license search.7
On freezing nights, or when you are away
- During a hard freeze, Dallas Water Utilities says to let hot and cold water drip slowly from inside faucets. It also says to open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls.4
- If you leave town in cold weather, leave the heat on. Set the thermostat no lower than 55 °F, and open the cabinet doors where there is plumbing.2
- If the house will be empty for several days, turn off your home's water shut-off valve. Then drain all the outside faucets.4
If a pipe freezes
- A frozen pipe may already be cracked, and then it will leak when it thaws. Know where your home's water shut-off valve is. If the pipe leaks, turn the valve off until the leak is fixed.2
- Never thaw a pipe with a blowtorch, a kerosene or propane heater, or any other flame. They can start a fire and give off carbon monoxide, a gas that can kill.2
- The City of Fort Worth says not to heat a frozen pipe with an electrical appliance. The pipe could burst, with a risk of electric shock.6
- In Dallas, if you have a water emergency and need help turning your water off or on, call 3-1-1.4