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Urgent · plumbing advice

# Frozen Pipes in Oklahoma: Prevention That Actually Works

Oklahoma freezes are short but sharp, and that's exactly when pipes split. Here's what to do before, during and after a hard freeze.

Oklahoma does not have a long winter, which is precisely why pipes here freeze more often than in colder states. Houses built for heat are not always built for a week at 12°F, and plumbing gets run through attics, crawl spaces and garages that would never be acceptable further north.

## Before the freeze

- Disconnect and drain every garden hose. A hose left on a bib traps water in the wall side of the valve and that is one of the most common split points.
- Fit insulated covers on outdoor spigots. They cost a few dollars.
- Insulate exposed pipe in crawl spaces, attics, garages and under manufactured homes. Foam sleeve is cheap; heat tape is better for the worst runs.
- Seal drafts where pipes pass through exterior walls.
- Know where the main shutoff is and check it turns.

## During the freeze

- Keep the thermostat at 55°F or above even if you are away.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
- Let the most exposed fixture drip. Moving water and relieved pressure both help.
- Open the garage door as little as possible if there is plumbing in there.

## If a pipe freezes

Open the affected tap so melting water has an escape route. Apply gentle heat with a hair dryer or a space heater kept well clear of anything flammable, working from the tap end back toward the frozen section. Never use a torch or open flame — that is how house fires start and how pipes get damaged.

If you cannot reach the pipe, or if no water comes through at all after warming, call. See frozen pipe repair.

## After the thaw is when leaks appear

A frozen pipe often does not leak while it is frozen — the ice plugs its own split. The water arrives when things warm up, sometimes overnight, sometimes into a wall where you will not see it for days.

Once water is flowing again, walk the house. Check ceilings, under sinks, and any wall next to a run you know is exposed. Watch the meter with everything off. If it moves, you have a leak somewhere, and leak detection will find it before the drywall does.

We staff up for Oklahoma freeze events and take calls around the clock through them. (833) 435-9778.

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