How to keep your pipes from freezing during a Connecticut cold snap

Connecticut winters punish any pipe that runs along an outside wall. The basement rim joist, the crawlspace, and the garage supply line freeze first. Once water turns to ice it expands, and a hairline split becomes a flood the moment it thaws.

Start with the easy wins. Disconnect garden hoses before the first hard freeze and shut off the outdoor hose bibs from inside. A capped hose traps water at the valve and cracks it. Foam pipe sleeves cost a few dollars and wrap any exposed copper in the basement.

On the coldest nights, open the cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks so warm room air reaches the pipes. Let a single faucet drip a pencil-thin stream. Moving water is much harder to freeze than still water, and the open path relieves pressure if ice does form.

If a pipe already froze, shut the main and call us before you thaw it. A pipe can split while frozen and only leak once the ice melts. We find the split, repair it, and check the rest of the run so it does not happen again next week.