Pipes freeze where plumbing meets cold air with no heat exchange: exterior walls, garages, crawl spaces, and anywhere a draft reaches a line. Canyon-mouth and Wasatch Back homes see those conditions weeks before the valley floor does.
Outside the house
- Disconnect and drain every hose. A connected hose traps water that freezes back into the wall, even on frost-free bibs.
- Shut interior valves to hose bibs where you have them, then open the bib to drain.
- Blow out sprinkler lines before the first hard freeze.
Inside the house
- Foam-sleeve exposed lines in the garage, crawl space, and attic.
- Test heat tape with a thermometer. It ages out quietly after three to five years.
- Seal rim-joist drafts near plumbing with a can of spray foam.
- Find your main shutoff and turn it once so it moves when it matters.
Cold-snap nights (below about 15°F) Open cabinet doors on plumbing walls, let the farthest faucet run a pencil-lead drip, keep the garage closed, and don’t set the thermostat back.
If you’ll be away
Keep the whole house at 55°F or above with interior doors open, and have someone walk through weekly. For longer trips, shut the main and drain the lines. Second-home owners in Park City should read our off-season guide.
HW
Written by
Highwater field team
Written by the crews who answer the phone 24/7 across the Wasatch Front and Back.
