Here are steps you can take to protect your home and property from winter storm damage.
- Prepare days before a freeze.
- Wrap outdoor and indoor pipes in unheated areas (like a clothes washer in your garage).
- Remove water hoses and wrap outdoor pipes.
- Drain and turn off your lawn sprinkler system.
- Turn off the water to your clothes washer if it’s in an unheated garage.
- Store your lawn equipment in a garage or shed to keep them in good condition for next year.
- If you leave your house before a freeze, turn off the water at the shutoff valve and leave your heat on.
- Protect your pipes when it freezes.
- Open cabinets under sinks to let your house’s heat warm the pipes.
- If your pipes freeze, turn off the water at the shutoff valve. This prevents broken pipes from leaking into your house after they thaw.
- Let faucets drip from the cold and hot taps or run water through your indoor faucets, hot and cold, before you go to sleep. Follow your local government’s instructions, which may limit water usage.
