Protecting your home’s pipes in winter weather: VERIFY Fact Sheet

With many areas of the country experiencing freezing temperatures and icy conditions, issues like frozen pipes have been top of mind. Frozen pipes can lead to property damage and flooding if they crack or burst. 

Google search data shows that there’s been a spike in searches about frozen pipes, and several VERIFY readers, including Nancy and Gerald, asked how to prevent them.

VERIFY previously confirmed that leaving faucets dripping during freezing weather is one way to help prevent pipes from bursting. Here are three more questions about ways to prevent plumbing accidents during frigid weather. 

THE SOURCES

• Raymond Snesrud, founder and CEO of Water Heaters Now
• Omar Ochoa, J.D., managing attorney at the Omar Ochoa law firm and specialist in property damage claims and insurance
• Dan Dahlberg, Ph.D., professor of physics at the University of Minnesota
• Shawn Ashby, laundry brand manager at Whirlpool
• Mark McCann, senior marketing manager at BSH Dish & Laundry Business Unit
• American Red Cross
• Protect Your Pipes
• Leggett, a Pennsylvania-based plumbing service 
• Blue Bear Plumbing
• Appliance manufacturer LG

WHAT WE FOUND

1. Can taking a hot shower during freezing weather cause pipes to burst?

THE ANSWER

No, taking a hot shower when temperatures are freezing outside won’t cause pipes to burst inside. 

“Running hot water is not itself going to make your pipes any more susceptible to bursting when there’s cold weather temperatures outside,” Omar Ochoa, an attorney who specializes in property damage and insurance claims, says.

Running hot water, or any temperature of water, can actually help prevent pipes from freezing. 

“Keeping the pipes running actually is a good way to try to prevent freezing from happening in the pipes and damaging them,” Ochoa explains.

Both the American Red Cross and Protect Your Pipes also recommend running water through pipes to help prevent them from freezing. The American Red Cross says even a trickle of water can help.

Dan Dahlberg, professor of Physics at the University of Minnesota, says this works because running water – even at a trickle – won’t freeze as quickly as standing water.

“Rather than having the water just in the pipe sitting there and becoming into equilibrium with the outside temperature, you're always pumping in warm water from underground,” Dahlberg explains.

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2. Can shutting off your water while you are on vacation help prevent pipes from bursting during the winter?

THE ANSWER

Yes, multiple experts agree that shutting off your water while you are on vacation can help prevent pipes from bursting during the winter. 

“Shutting off the water to your home or business is safe to do year-round, but can be especially beneficial during the winter season,” Leggett, a Pennsylvania-based plumbing service, says. The standing water in your pipes is at risk for freezing, which can lead to burst pipes. 

If frozen pipes crack or burst, water will continue to flow out at high pressure, Blue Bear Plumbing explains. In really frigid environments, water could freeze to a point of breakage within two days, Raymond Snesrud, founder and CEO of Water Heaters Now, says.  

Ochoa says he’s had clients who left for vacation and didn’t shut off the water valve. While they were gone, the pipes burst, resulting in thousands of dollars worth of damage. 

If you shut off your heat, it’s important to not only shut off your water but to also drain all the pipes. Even if the water is shut off to the house, there’s still water in the pipes that can freeze, Dahlberg explains. 

3. Is it damaging to run appliances, like your washing machine or dishwasher, in freezing temperatures?

THE ANSWER

Whether running your washing machine or dishwasher during cold snaps can damage your machine or pipes depends on the location of the appliance in your home. 

If your appliance is in the insulated part of your house, then you likely don’t have to worry about issues with these pipes freezing because the water in your appliance will typically be above freezing, Dahlberg says. 

“Our Washers and Dryers are rated to work in freezing temperatures, however, we cannot control external factors such as frozen pipes,” which can compromise overall effectiveness, LG told VERIFY.

Shawn Ashby, laundry brand manager at Whirlpool, told VERIFY their appliances are safe to use as long as you “ensure your home’s heat is left on to prevent your pipes from freezing.” Ashby also advises people who live in cold climates to make sure their pipes are properly insulated. Insulating your pipes can be a key way to prevent pipes from freezing.

Locations for washers and other appliances that can be risky for freezing pipes include basements, garages or along an exterior wall, Bosch and LG say. “Washing machines have residual water in the pump and hoses that may freeze and damage your pipes in cold weather,” LG explains.

In these locations, “hoses and internal parts may be damaged if exposed to freezing temperatures or other environmental forces and factors,” Mark McCann, senior marketing manager at BSH Dish & Laundry Business Unit, told VERIFY.

Using a washing machine that’s placed in a location susceptible to extreme cold can also damage your home’s pipes as residual water can freeze and expand, LG says. This is because the water pipes for these appliances may not have had water running through them regularly the same way that faucets have, Ochoa explains.  It’s important to take note of the risks and avoid running your appliance if it's in an area that has freezing temperatures. 

This story is also available in Spanish / Lee este artículo también en español: Cómo proteger las tuberías de tu hogar en el invierno: Hoja de Datos VERIFY