Get Your Home Ready for Freezing Pipes and Storms

How do I get my home ready for a winter storm and frozen pipes?
Keep the thermostat above 55 degrees, wrap exposed pipes, open cabinet doors, and let the faucet farthest from your main valve drip during a freeze. Know where your main water shutoff is before you need it.

The Mike Webb Team (Mike and Claudia Webb, RE/MAX Allegiance) helps homeowners in Arlington, Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC get their homes ready to sell and sold.

Arlington County's frozen pipe guidance lists these steps:

• Keep the thermostat above 55°F, especially if you will be away for a long time.
• Turn on the faucet farthest from your main valve to a small, steady trickle.
• Open cabinet and vanity doors so warm air reaches the pipes.
• Wrap exposed pipes with insulation. The county says newspaper can work too.
• Close off crawl spaces, seal drafty windows and doors, and insulate walls and attics near pipes.

Source: Arlington County, Prevent Frozen Pipes.

The county says to look where the water supply enters your house, usually in the basement, or in a concrete box near the street. If the valve is outside, lift the cover with a large screwdriver. Turn the water off with a pipe or crescent wrench. Mark the valve with fluorescent paint or tape so you can find it in the dark. Do this on a calm day, so you know the wrench fits and the valve turns.

Ready.gov says to keep out the cold with insulation, caulking and weather stripping, and to install and test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that have battery backups. It also says to gather supplies in case you stay home for several days without power, and never to heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven. Source: Ready.gov, Winter Weather.

Arlington County says to shut off the water at the main valve right away. Then melt the ice slowly by warming the air around the pipe with a hair dryer, or by wrapping the pipe in warm towels. Never use a kerosene heater, blow torch or open flame, and keep heat away from anything that can burn. Once the pipe is thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check all pipes and joints for leaks or cracks. Leaks or pools of water mean a pipe burst or cracked. Call a plumbing professional if you suspect a burst pipe or cannot find the frozen section.

The county says your water meter or pipes may be frozen. If you think your meter is frozen, do not try to thaw it, because that can cause extensive damage. Call the Arlington Water and Sewer Control Center at 703-228-5000, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the county will send a staff member to look into it. The county says the water utility replaces outside water meters.

The county has a separate list for a vacant home. It applies if a power outage forces you to leave, or if your property is in a place forecast to get long stretches of below-freezing temperatures:

1. Shut off the main water valve.
2. Drain all pipes by opening every faucet and spigot, hot and cold, starting on the upper floor and working down. Do not forget outside water lines.
3. Flush the toilets to clear the bowls and tanks, and run the washing machine and dishwasher briefly.
4. Turn off the electricity or gas to the water heater, then drain it using the maker's directions.
5. To refill, open all the faucets, then slowly open the main valve so the air is pushed out of the pipes.

The county suggests a licensed plumber if you have a boiler or wet system, or if you do not feel comfortable with any of these steps.

The county runs a snow page with a response activity map, and it says the form for reporting snow issues opens only after snowfall has ended, which varies with each storm. The county lists 703-228-4611 for snow service updates (TDD) and 703-228-6525 for trail status. Save them now, so you are not searching during the storm.

If your home is listed, tell us where the shutoff is and who to call, so showings stay safe. A home that stays warm and dry shows better and avoids a costly surprise. If your home is empty, talk with us before the first hard freeze about whether to follow the county's vacant-home steps. For more seasonal tasks, read our Winter Home Checklist for Arlington Homeowners and Daylight Saving Ends Nov. 1: Home Checklist.

Should I let every faucet drip? The county says to leave the faucet farthest from your main valve at a small, steady trickle during a freeze.

Can I use a space heater on a frozen pipe? The county says never to use a kerosene heater, blow torch or open flame. Use a hair dryer or warm towels, and keep heat away from anything that can burn.

Does this matter if I am selling? Yes. A home that stays warm and dry shows better and avoids a costly surprise.

This is general information. For a burst pipe or a vacant-home shutdown, call a licensed plumber.

Call or text Claudia at 703-350-3884 or visit claudiawebb.com.

The Mike Webb Team, RE/MAX Allegiance. Arlington, Virginia. Equal Housing Opportunity.