Freeze-Proof Your Pipes: A Winter Plan for Cherokee County Homes

Hard freezes are rare in Canton, which is why they catch homeowners off guard. Here's what to do before the first freeze, the night of a hard freeze, and how to find your water shut-off before you need it.

We don't get many hard freezes in Canton, and that's exactly why they catch so many homeowners off guard. A lot of our homes have water lines in crawl spaces, garages, and exterior walls, and it only takes one very cold night for one of them to split.

The good news is that most frozen pipes can be prevented with a little prep.

Before the first freeze

Take care of these in the fall, before the first frost advisory:

• Disconnect every garden hose. A hose left attached traps water in the spigot, and even a frost-free spigot can burst that way.
• Drain the hoses and put them away, then cover each outdoor spigot with an insulated foam cover. They cost a few dollars at any hardware store.
• If you have an irrigation system, have it shut off and drained for the season. The backflow device that sits above ground is especially easy to crack.
• Wrap exposed pipes in unheated spaces like the crawl space, garage, and attic. Foam pipe insulation is inexpensive and easy to put on.
• If your crawl space has foundation vents, close or cover them during the coldest stretch of winter.

The night of a hard freeze

When the forecast drops into the low 20s or colder, especially for several hours overnight:

• Let the faucets on outside walls drip, both hot and cold. Moving water is much less likely to freeze.
• Open the cabinet doors under the kitchen and bathroom sinks so warm air can reach the pipes.
• Keep the garage door closed if any water lines run through the garage.
• Keep the thermostat steady day and night. If you're traveling, leave it at 55 degrees or higher.

Find your water shut-off now

If a pipe does burst, every minute counts. Knowing where to turn off the water can be the difference between a wet floor and a ruined ceiling.

• Most homes have a main shut-off valve where the water line enters the house. Look in the garage, the basement, the crawl space, or near the water heater.
• There's also a valve at the water meter, usually in a box near the street. It often takes a special key, so learn the one at the house first.
• Make sure your valve actually turns. Old valves can stick, and it's much better to find that out on a calm afternoon.
• Show everyone in the house where it is, and tag it so it's easy to find in a hurry.
• Your water heater has its own shut-off on the cold-water line above it. It's worth knowing that one too.

If a pipe freezes

If you turn on a faucet and only get a trickle, a pipe may be frozen.

• Leave that faucet open.
• Warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer, or a space heater kept at a safe distance. Never use an open flame.
• If you find a leak or a burst pipe, shut off the main water right away and call a licensed plumber.

A few minutes of prep now saves a lot of stress on the coldest night of the year. If you need a plumber, Heritage Plumbing in Ball Ground is who I'd call at 770-735-3855. Tommy Phillips and his family have been taking care of Cherokee County homes since 1998.

Kate Valor is a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Partners, serving Canton, Georgia and the greater Cherokee County area.