Before you cozy up indoors by the fire or spend your days building snowmen or ice-skating, take some steps to prepare your plumbing for the winter. The weather can be unpredictable throughout the season and the last thing you want to worry about is your pipes freezing. When your pipes are frozen, no water will stream from the faucet. Take immediate action to prevent the pipes from bursting.

Things to do when your pipes are frozen

As soon as you identify freezing pipes, turn off the main water to prevent bursts and leaks. Then, open the faucet where the frozen pipe is connected to release pressure and make the frozen water go to a safe area when it thaws.

To thaw the pipe, turn up the temperature in your house. You can use heating supplies like infrared lamps, a space heater, infrared lamps, or electrical tape to thaw it. Don’t use any flame device like a blowtorch or a heater that runs on propane or kerosene to avoid any costly disaster. Take time to check other places in your home for frozen pipes before you activate the main water line again.

How to prevent frozen pipes

Frozen pipes can be a hassle to deal with, so it’s important to do your part in preventing this from happening in the first place. Allow faucets to drip because the water flow can resist freezing. Don’t leave your thermostat lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and open the under-sink cabinets to let warm air in the home go to the pipes. Keep pipes insulated with pipe tape or foam and consider setting a space heater near the pipes when it’s extremely cold.

At Danco, we have many plumbing products that can help prevent plumbing disasters that can be caused by frozen pipes. Keep reading for more ways to prevent a plumbing crisis in the winter.

Fix drips and leaks

Check your bathrooms and kitchen for any leaking or dripping faucets before winter sets in. If there’s any, you may need to replace the cartridge or stem, depending on whether you have a one-handle or two or three-handle faucet.

A one-handle faucet has a cartridge to manage water temperature and flow. Two- or three-handle faucets have stems where each would operate either hot or cold, and a diverter stem that directs water from the tub spout to the showerhead.

Not sure which stem or cartridge to get? Use our PartFinder tool here at Danco. Just take a photo of the part using your phone and PartFinder will recommend the best parts.

Prevent pipe build-up

Hair, food, grease, and other debris may seem harmless but they can cause more harm down the line when left to accumulate in the pipes. Danco has a great selection of hair catchers that should effectively prevent any falling debris from going down the drain. Check out our Bathtub Hair Catcher Suction Cup, Bathtub Hair Catcher Suction Cup 2-Pack, and Tub/Shower Hair Catcher. Each has a unique design that helps prevent clogs and build-up.