How to Keep Your Pipes From Freezing in a Minnesota Winter

Frozen pipes cause a lot of the water damage we see between December and March. Most of it is preventable.

Keep the space warm

  • Keep the heat at 60 or higher, even when you're gone. Don't turn it way down for a weekend trip.
  • Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air gets to the pipes.
  • Watch cold spots: unheated porches, crawl spaces, garages and bathrooms over a garage.
  • Seal drafts where pipes run near rim joists and outside walls.

Winterize the outside

  • Disconnect garden hoses. A hose left on traps water in the spigot.
  • Shut off and drain outdoor spigots from the inside valve if you have one.
  • Blow out or drain sprinkler lines in the fall.

When it's below zero

If all that still isn't enough on the coldest nights, set the faucets on those outside walls to a steady drip. Moving water is much harder to freeze, and a drip relieves pressure if ice does start to form.

If a pipe does freeze or burst

Shut off the main water right away. A frozen pipe often doesn't leak until it thaws, so watch it. If it bursts, see burst and frozen pipes. We answer 24/7.

Call or text Ben: (612) 991-5525 any time, day or night.

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