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A Quick Reminder to Winterize Your Pipes
As winter approaches, it is important to safeguard against the possibility of freeze damage.
For the home: Plumbing located against exterior walls, in unheated basements, and crawl
spaces are particularly vulnerable to the cold and can easily freeze when frigid conditions are present.
To avoid costly hazards:
- Eliminate drafts by closing crawl spaces and doors.
- Repair cracked windows and make sure doors and windows are properly closed.
- Insulate pipes in unheated parts of your home, including crawl spaces. Making sure these areas are protected from freezing.
- Use proper-applied heat tape or pipe insulation to keep pipes warms.
- Protect your outdoor water meter by making sure the lid is not broken or missing.
- Disconnect hoses from outside hose bibs (faucets).
- Ensure that steps have been taken to properly drain outside hose bibs (faucets).
If pipes can not be freeze protected, consider opening cabinet doors to allow warm air from inside the
home to reach the water pipes.
If pipes become frozen, use a blow dryer to thaw frozen areas. Keep the dryer about six inches away from
the pipe and move it slowly back and forth. Heat tape may also be used to thaw frozen pipes.
For those with lawn irrigation system: Winterizing for a lawn irrigation system primarily consists of
shutting off and draining all the water from the irrigation system. Water left in the lawn irrigation
system could become frozen and break piping, fittings, valves, sprinklers, pumps, backflow devices etc.
For those with backflow assemblies above ground: Backflow prevention assemblies that require insulating
must be available for testing. Do not leave your backflow prevention assembly out in the cold. It is much
less costly to protect than to repair a damaged backflow prevention assembly.
For more information, contact the Backflow Protection Program Coordinator at
hung@tigard-or.gov or 503-718-2603.
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