Yes. When the overnight low is around 20°F or colder, let faucets on outside walls drip. A slow, steady drip from both the hot and cold sides is enough. It keeps a little water moving and, more importantly, relieves the pressure that splits a pipe if ice forms. Pipes already frozen? Call (413) 603-1274.
Which faucets to drip
- Kitchen and bathroom sinks on exterior walls
- Any fixture that has frozen before
- Fixtures on enclosed porches or additions
- In multi-family homes, the faucets in units with outside walls on the north and west
You do not need to drip every faucet in the house. The ones farthest from where the water enters, on cold walls, matter most.
How much
A slow drip or a thin, pencil-lead stream. More is not much better, and less may stop as the pipe cools. Open single-handle faucets to the middle so both hot and cold drip.
Why it works
Pipes burst because of pressure building between ice and a closed faucet, not just because they freeze. An open faucet gives that pressure somewhere to go. Moving water is also harder to freeze. See how long before frozen pipes burst.
Do this too
- Open sink cabinet doors so room heat reaches the pipes
- Keep the thermostat steady, day and night
- Close garage and porch doors
- Know where your main valve is
Chicopee averages about 50 nights a winter at or below 20°F. See what temperature pipes freeze and pipe freeze protection.
Does dripping waste much water?
A slow drip uses some water, but far less than most people expect, and very little compared to what a burst pipe releases in a few minutes. For a cold snap of a few days, dripping one or two faucets on outside walls is cheap insurance. Many water departments in cold climates recommend it during deep freezes. There is no need to drip every faucet in the house, just the ones on outside walls, porches and the far ends of long runs.
When dripping is not enough
Dripping helps most when a pipe is borderline. It is not enough when:
- The pipe runs through an unheated, windy space like an open crawl space or porch
- The heat has gone off in the house
- The temperature is below zero for several days
- The drip has stopped, which can mean ice has already formed
In those cases add heat to the space, shut the main and drain the lines if the heat is out, or have the pipe protected for good. See pipe freeze protection.
Drains can freeze too
A dripping faucet sends water down the drain. In a very cold crawl space, the drain line can freeze too. If the sink starts backing up during a cold snap, slow the drip and warm the area under the sink.
Remember to stop dripping once the cold snap passes, and check those same faucets for full flow.
Questions
Won't dripping raise my water bill?
A little, for a few nights. A burst pipe costs far more.
Should landlords tell tenants to drip faucets?
Many do, before a cold snap. It is also worth fixing the cold spots for good. See apartment water damage.
Dripped and still froze? Call now
Call (413) 603-1274 now. Locally owned in Chicopee.