When a hard freeze settles over New Jersey, our phones start ringing in a predictable pattern: first the hose bibs, then the crawl-space lines, then the pipes in exterior walls. Water expands about 9% when it freezes, and confined in a pipe, that expansion generates pressures no residential plumbing survives. Every burst pipe on our winter schedule was preventable. Here's the checklist.
Before the first freeze
Disconnect every garden hose — a connected hose traps water inside the hose bib where it freezes and splits the pipe inside your wall (you won't discover this until spring's first use floods the wall cavity). Shut interior valves feeding outdoor spigots and drain the exterior section. Insulate exposed runs in crawl spaces, garages, attics, and along rim joists with foam sleeves — cheap, effective, twenty minutes of work.
The vulnerable zones in NJ homes
Pipes in exterior walls — especially kitchen sinks on outside walls; pipes over garages (a bathroom above a garage is a classic freeze victim); crawl spaces with vents left open; unheated basements near drafty windows; and additions or converted porches plumbed without the insulation the original house got. Seal air leaks near pipes: a pencil-thin draft of 10°F air can freeze a pipe that mere cold room air wouldn't.
During a hard freeze
Let vulnerable faucets drip — moving water resists freezing, and a drip relieves pressure if ice does form. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so room heat reaches the pipes. Keep the thermostat no lower than 55°F, day and night, occupied or not. If you leave for more than a day, have someone check the house — and know where your main shutoff is before you leave.
If a pipe freezes anyway
No water at one fixture during a freeze means ice somewhere on its line. Open the faucet and warm the suspect section with a hair dryer or space heater — never an open flame. If you can't locate or reach the frozen section, or if the pipe has already split (you'll find out when it thaws), shut the main and call us. A thawing burst pipe floods fast; the main shutoff is the difference between a repair and a restoration.
Lumin Drain NJ repairs frozen and burst pipes all winter across New Jersey, 24/7. Save 929-662-1816 before the forecast makes you need it.