DIY guidePipes

Hard freeze tonight: open the sink cabinets and let a tap drip

On a bitter night, let the house's warmth reach the pipes on outside walls, keep a thin drip moving, and check every tap in the morning.

7 steps

Tap a step to watch it again.

Open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls, so the house's warmth reaches the pipes.
Move cleaners up out of reach of children and pets.
Turn the cold tap at those sinks to a thin, steady drip. Water that moves is slow to freeze.
Keep the garage door shut all night, most of all if pipes or the laundry are out there.
Leave the heat at its daytime setting tonight, even in rooms you don't use, and keep the inside doors open.
Take any hose off the outdoor taps, so the water in them can drain.
In the morning, turn on each tap. One with little or no water may have a frozen pipe.
A tap with little or nothing, or frost or a bulge on a pipe: leave the tap open and ask Handyman for a plumber.
Never thaw a pipe with a torch or any flame.

Handyman says: Frozen pipe? I'll find a plumber.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.