The winter is nearly here once again, and that means that property managers must take steps to protect their units. Among one of the most important winterization tasks you can undertake is to prevent your pipes from freezing.

When water in a pipe freezes, it increases pressure within the pipe. With enough build-up, you risk a burst pipe, water damager, and a huge mess to take care of.

With that said, follow these simple tips to prevent frozen pipes in your own properties.

1. Inspect your pipes.

The first step in winterizing your pipes should always be to inspect them and the surrounding areas, looking for evidence of a leak or potential damage.

Look under your sinks for any sign of exposure or at-risk piping. Pipes with limited insulation or ones open to the elements will pose the greatest threat when the weather gets cold.

Inspect your pipes either on your own or with the help of professional inspectors and plumbers. From here, you’ll be better prepared to address any other preventive winter maintenance behind the basics.

2. Add insulation.

Pipes in diverse areas of the home typically are less protected from the cold than others. These are often found in basements or attics. However, any exposed piping can benefit from extra insulation.

Luckily, adding this insulation isn’t difficult and the expense may well be worth avoiding the disastrous cost of frozen or burst pipes. Fiberglass or rubber sleeves can be fitted to your plumbing to provide greater protection against the cold.

Assess your pipes and address exposures, providing extra insulation as needed. This step could make all the difference between extensive water damage and a simple fix.

3. Disconnect and cover hoses and hose bibs.

Around the exterior of your home, you need to secure your hoses and hose bibs against freezing. This is a simple and important step winterization step you shouldn’t forget.

That’s because connected hose bibs containing water can freeze and burst the same as interior pipes, potentially causing up to thousands in property damage. To protect your property, you need to turn off water valves leading to the exterior of your home, disconnect your hoses, and release all remaining water in the spigot.

This step ensures that when winter comes, you won’t have water waiting to freeze and cause problems in your plumbing.

4. Let interior faucets drip.

On the interior of your home, you can’t complete the same process. You’ll need water running off and on whether or not you’re occupying your home. Letting your faucets drip slowly overnight or while away can instead keep pipes from freezing even if your water heater isn’t activating consistently.

By opening faucets just a tad, you can keep cold and hot water flowing through your home. This will prevent ice build-up that threatens plumbing with excess pressure. Consider this tip anytime your pipes might otherwise get too cold.

5. Leave your thermostat set at least 55 degrees, even when traveling.

Many travelers, thinking they’ll save money, turn off the heat when leaving town. In the winter, this can be devastating to your pipes.

Instead, set your thermostat to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit whenever you are leaving the home unoccupied. This will keep enough heat moving through your home to prevent most occurrences of freezing. 

Of course, there can be no guarantee against frozen pipes in every circumstance. Polar vortexes and unprecedented weather behavior can disrupt even the best preventative maintenance. With these tips, however, you can do your part in eliminating your risk of a life-disrupting pipe freeze.

For more information on property management and real estate investment, contact 208.properties or find us on social media.