Title: Burst pipe panic: what would you do?
Cranking the thermostat never made sense to me either—if the crawlspace isn’t heated, the rest of the house could be toasty and you’d still end up with an ice block under your floor. I’ve had tenants swear up and down that turning up the heat is a fix-all, but pipes in exterior walls or unheated spots just don’t care.
Hose bibs are a sneaky one. I’ve had a couple places where tenants left hoses on, and even with those “frost-free” spigots, water still backed up and froze. The worst is when you think you’ve done everything right and then spring rolls around, you turn the water on and suddenly there’s a geyser in the crawlspace. Not fun.
I’m curious if anyone’s tried those foam faucet covers? I’ve used them, but honestly, if the hose is still attached or the pipe isn’t drained, they don’t seem to help much. I usually just shut off the exterior water lines from inside and drain them before it gets cold. Takes five minutes, but it’s saved me a lot of headaches.
One other thing—heat tape on exposed pipes. Mixed feelings about it. Some swear by it, but I’ve seen it fail if it’s not installed right or if it gets old. Anyone else had issues with that? I’m always looking for something that works without much fuss, but it seems like there’s no perfect solution.
In the end, I guess it’s all about staying a step ahead before the freeze hits. But I will never trust “just turn up the heat” as advice... learned that one the expensive way.
- Turning up the thermostat is basically wishful thinking if your pipes are in unheated spaces. Learned that one the hard way—water finds the coldest spot, every time.
- Foam faucet covers? Meh. They’re better than nothing, but if there’s water in the line or a hose left on, you’re just delaying the inevitable mess.
- Heat tape’s a mixed bag. It works, but only if you check it every year. I’ve seen old tape just stop working and nobody notices until it’s too late.
- My go-to: shut off and drain exterior lines, insulate exposed pipes, and remind tenants—repeatedly—not to leave hoses attached. It’s not glamorous, but it beats mopping up a flooded crawlspace at 2am.
Title: Burst pipe panic: what would you do?
Turning up the thermostat is basically wishful thinking if your pipes are in unheated spaces. Learned that one the hard way—water finds the coldest spot, every time.
Yeah, that’s the truth. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to explain to folks that cranking the heat inside won’t do squat for pipes running through a freezing garage or crawlspace. Pipes don’t care about your thermostat—they care about where they’re actually sitting.
Foam faucet covers... eh, I’m with you there. They’re like putting a band-aid on a broken leg if you’ve still got water in the line or a hose hooked up. I’ve seen those things freeze solid with the cover still on, and then you get that lovely ice plug that splits the pipe right behind the wall. Not fun.
Heat tape’s a funny one. When it works, it’s great, but I’ve seen more than a few jobs where someone put it on ten years ago and just forgot about it. Out of sight, out of mind, until you’re ankle-deep in water. I always tell people to check the stuff every fall—make sure it’s plugged in, not frayed, and actually heating up. Otherwise, it’s just expensive string.
I’m a big fan of shutting off and draining exterior lines too. It’s not glamorous, but it’s reliable. I’ve had tenants swear up and down they took the hose off, only to find it frozen solid in January. Now I just go check myself if I can. Saves a lot of headaches (and late-night calls).
One thing I’d add—if you’ve got pipes running along exterior walls inside, sometimes just leaving a cabinet door open under the sink can help a bit. Not a cure-all, but every little bit helps when it’s -10 outside.
Anyway, prevention beats panic every time. Mopping up a flooded crawlspace at 2am is nobody’s idea of a good time... trust me on that one.
I get where you’re coming from about the thermostat not helping pipes in unheated spots, but I’ve actually had some luck with a combo approach that’s not super expensive. Here’s what I do, step-by-step, when a deep freeze is coming and I can’t get to every crawlspace or garage pipe:
1. Thermostat up a couple degrees – not for the pipes in the garage, but to keep the house warmer overall. Sometimes that extra heat does help with pipes running along inside walls, especially if you open up those cabinets like you mentioned.
2. Cheap foam pipe insulation – not just the faucet covers, but the long tubes you can cut to size. They’re not perfect, but for a few bucks a pipe, they buy you time. I’ve had them make the difference between a frozen trickle and a full-on burst.
3. Drip the faucets – it’s old advice, but letting water move through the system (even just a little) has saved me more than once. I usually pick the faucet farthest from where water comes in.
4. Space heater in the garage or crawlspace – obviously only if it’s safe and supervised. I set it on low for a few hours during the coldest nights. Not ideal for energy bills, but better than repairs.
5. Heat tape – totally agree it needs checking every year. I write a reminder on my calendar for October to test it before things get ugly.
I will say, shutting off and draining exterior lines is king if you can do it, no argument there. But sometimes you inherit a place with weird plumbing or tenants who “forget”... so these little steps help.
One thing I’d push back on: foam covers aren’t useless if you’ve got everything else right (drained lines, hoses off). They’re cheap insurance against wind chill and sudden drops—just don’t expect miracles from them alone.
Anyway, after dealing with one too many winter plumbing “surprises,” I’m all about layering up these budget fixes instead of relying on just one thing. Not glamorous, but my wallet thanks me every spring when nothing needs fixing...
You’re not wrong—layering up those fixes is usually what keeps folks out of trouble. I’ve seen plenty of people rely on just one thing (usually foam or a space heater) and end up with a mess. Curious, have you ever had issues with heat tape tripping breakers? I’ve run into that more than once in older homes. But yeah, your approach is practical. Sometimes it’s not about doing everything perfectly, just doing enough of the right things to avoid disaster.
