How to Keep Pipes From Freezing in a Marietta Cold Snap

Marietta winters are often mild, which is part of why a sudden hard freeze can catch unprepared pipes in crawlspaces, garages, and exterior walls. Here is what to do before the cold arrives, and what to do if a pipe freezes anyway.

Quick answer

Before a hard freeze, disconnect garden hoses, insulate pipes in unheated spaces, open sink cabinets on exterior walls, keep the heat at 55°F or higher even if you are away, and let a faucet on a vulnerable line drip cold water. Know where your main shutoff is. If a pipe freezes, thaw it with gentle heat such as a hair dryer, never an open flame, and call a licensed plumber if you cannot reach it or it has split.

Which pipes freeze first

Pipes freeze where cold air reaches them and household heat does not:

• Lines in crawlspaces, garages and attics
• Pipes inside exterior walls, often behind kitchen and bathroom sinks
• Outdoor spigots (hose bibs) and irrigation lines

Before the next hard freeze

1. Disconnect and drain garden hoses. A connected hose keeps water in the spigot. Our end-of-season backflow and hose bib checklist covers the outdoor side.
2. Insulate exposed pipes in crawlspaces, garages and attics with pipe sleeves or similar insulation.
3. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes. Move cleaners up out of children's reach.
4. Keep the thermostat steady. The American Red Cross recommends leaving the heat on and setting it no lower than 55°F if you will be away during cold weather (Preventing and thawing frozen pipes).
5. Let a faucet drip. A trickle of cold water from a faucet on an exposed line helps keep water moving.
6. Find your main shutoff now. If a pipe splits, shutting off the water quickly limits the damage. See how to find and use your main water shutoff.

If a pipe freezes

A faucet that gives only a trickle or nothing at all during a freeze may have a frozen line.

• Keep the faucet open so water can flow as the ice melts.
• Apply gentle heat to the frozen section: a hair dryer, a heating pad, or a space heater kept well away from anything flammable.
• Never use an open flame, torch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or similar open-flame device (Red Cross guidance linked above).
• Keep heating until full pressure returns, then check the other faucets.

Call a licensed plumber if you cannot find or reach the frozen section, if the pipe has bulged or split, or if water appears when it thaws.

After the thaw: check for leaks

A split pipe often does not leak until it thaws. Look for water under sinks, on crawlspace floors and on garage walls. Watch your water meter with every fixture off. If you find water and are not sure where it is coming from, our guide on telling a supply leak from drain water can help.

Questions people ask

Should I drip every faucet?

Focus on faucets fed by pipes in exterior walls or unheated spaces.

Can I just shut off the water and drain the house?

If you will be gone during a long freeze, it is an option. Ask a plumber what it means for your water heater first.

Will homeowners insurance cover a burst pipe?

Check your policy. We cannot advise on coverage.

If a pipe has already split

Shut off the main and request service from bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Marietta. Tell us where the water is and when you noticed it. For background on repair versus replacement questions, see our water line repair or replacement guide.