How to Drip Faucets in the Winter: Everything to Know
Avoid drowning in water damage expenses
Allowing a small water drip from your faucet can save you from frozen pipes and thousands of dollars in water damage. A drip doesn't always prevent freezing, but with water moving through your pipes, ice is less likely to form. There’s also less pressure in your pipes, so they’re less likely to burst if they freeze. Learn when and how to drip faucets in your home and whether you should drip hot or cold water.
Prepping to Drip Faucets
Dripping a faucet can prevent frozen and burst pipes if you turn on the correct faucets before or soon after the temperature drops.
Watch the Temperature
If temperatures will be below 20 degrees Fahrenheit for at least three hours or your power goes out in the winter, plan to drip your faucets. Ideally, you want to drip your faucets before the cold strikes, or within the first two hours.
Even if the inside of your home doesn't fall to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, pipes located in unheated areas such as the basement, attic, garage, and crawl spaces—or in exterior walls with minimal insulation—can still freeze.
Ready Your Home and Pipes for Freezing Weather
Besides dripping a faucet, it’s important to prep your home for cold temps and possible power outages to ensure your pipes don’t freeze and burst. While dripping a faucet can prevent freezing, there are other steps you should take to prevent frozen pipes.
Based on your home, its unique vulnerabilities, and insulation, here are some ways to ready your home and pipes for freezing weather:
Close your garage door if you have water supply lines in the garage.
Open your kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to surround your pipes and plumbing. Just remember to place any toxic chemicals and cleaners that are down there out of reach of children and pets.
Keep your home's temperature at 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, even if you’re not at home.
Insulate indoor and outdoor water supply lines and pipes, especially in unheated areas such as the basement, attic, crawl spaces, and garage.
Consider adding insulation on exterior walls with pipes.
Drain your swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines before winter.
Choose Which Faucets to Drip
Photo: Karl Tapales / Moment / Getty ImagesYou should drip a faucet that’s farthest away from your home’s water source, but to err on the side of caution you should drip faucets in all rooms with plumbing. For example, you may want to drip the kitchen faucet as well as the bathroom faucets. Any branch of your water pipe system has the possibility of freezing, so dripping more faucets reduces the chance of freezing and bursting pipes.
Consider dripping these faucets:
Faucet farthest away from your home’s water source.
Faucet that attaches to exposed pipes, such as those in your basement or attic.
Faucet that attaches to pipes in exterior walls that have little insulation.
Faucets or shower heads in each room to ensure each pipe has a drip.
The small increase in your water bill for running a drip is likely less than $1 a month. This minimal cost is worth saving potentially thousands of dollars in water damage costs. A small crack in a pipe can spray hundreds of gallons of water into your home.
Turn On a Cold Water Drip
Wondering whether to drip hot or cold water? Turn on the cold water of your faucet to create a small, steady drip with drops falling approximately every three seconds. Hot water comes through a separate pipe and is less likely to freeze, so a cold water drip is recommended.
If your water pipes for both hot and cold water are exposed, or your power is out along with your water heater, drip both hot and cold water to prevent either line from freezing.
Leave the Drip on Until Temps Are Above Freezing
Photo: Viktoriya Kuzmenkova / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty ImagesLeave your faucet dripping until temperatures are consistently above 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The continual drip helps keep your pipes safe during cold temperatures and during the thawing of any frozen pipes. When the ice thaws, your water has a place to go, rather than bursting your pipes due to pent-up pressure.
Check if You Have Frozen Pipes
Even if you leave a drip on during freezing temperatures, it's possible to still have frozen pipes. Look for signs of frozen pipes and take action to prevent costly water damage.
If you suspect frozen pipes, turn off the main water valve to your house right away and contact a local plumber. In most cases, if your water pipes freeze, they also burst as water expands when it freezes. By shutting off the water supply, you can avoid leaks and water damage until the plumber arrives. A plumber will inspect your pipes for cracks and make repairs before turning your water back on. The cost of a plumber is often hundreds or thousands of dollars less than water damage.
If you stay away from home for long periods of time during cold months, consider draining your pipes and leaving your water valve off. You can avoid frozen pipes and leaks while you're away without having to leave a drip on.
Drip Faucets Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
You can drip faucets yourself without hiring a plumber, as the project requires no tools and takes five minutes or less. If you think your pipes have frozen or burst, leave the drip on, turn off your home’s water supply at the main shut-off valve, and contact a local plumber. A plumber will inspect and repair your pipes, helping you avoid flooding and costly water damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should leave the water dripping when temperatures are below 20 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours or longer or your power goes out in the winter. Leave the water dripping until temperatures are consistently above 20 degrees Fahrenheit and you’ve checked for frozen pipes. With water movement in your pipes, ice is less likely to form, and your pipes are less likely to burst. The drip relieves pressure, preventing burst and leaking pipes.
Yes, you should leave outside faucets dripping in freezing weather to prevent frozen and burst pipes. While a drip doesn't always prevent freezing, ice is less likely to form and there's less pressure in your pipes, meaning they’re less likely to burst. You can also winterize your outdoor faucets, eliminating the need to run a drip.
A small trickle with drops approximately every three seconds is enough to relieve pressure and ensure there is movement in your pipes. The cost to run a drip is minimal, usually less than $1 a month. The potential savings from flooding and water damage in your home could be in the thousands.
Once the outside weather drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, your pipes are at risk of freezing. Adjusting—or lowering—the thermostat is a common practice before going to bed or when leaving the house. If you want to keep your pipes from freezing, keep the thermostat set at no less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit (so long as temperatures are below freezing).
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