Here's a list of ways to prevent freezing pipes in your home:
- Keep the thermostat at a minimum of 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make sure pipes are properly insulated.
- Keep water slowly flowing on outer wall faucets.
- Cover outside faucets.
What tips prevent your pipes from freezing?
I don't think I've ever set my thermostat as high as 68 degrees.
I don't cover outside taps and never have, I just leave them on full open and turn off the interior valve that controls them. That gives the water in the pipes space to expand if it freezes.
Interior pipes are insulated. If you use PEX it has a bit of scope to expand if the pipes freeze, which means if you've got a section of pipe that isn't used much it's not too much of an issue if the water freezes. The biggest issue with pipes freezing isn't so much water not being able to get through but the pipe splitting as the water tries to expand, resulting in a leak as soon as it all thaws out.
As I've been insulating my house in general I'm aware that the furnace doesn't run anywhere near as much as it used to do, which means there's less heat in the basement areas where all the pipes run. So I made sure that every single section of pipe I can get at is insulated, and all the pipes running through there are used often enough that freezing is unlikely to be an issue with insulation in place.
