It’s Day 2 of #Thundersleet2023 as I write this, and my kids have been home for about 22 hours. It’s looking like everything will be closed through Thursday morning if WFAA meteorologist Pete Delkus has it right, which feels like a really, really long time. If you have young kids and are desperately trying to work during the freeze, I know you feel me.
My point is, however, that you’re likely stuck at home for a bit, so even if you weren’t super prepared for this latest freeze, all is not lost. I took a look at some of our past tips for preparing for winter storms, and for the aftermath of winter storms, and I have great news. Not only can I help you protect your house from freeze damage, I have the perfect excuse to get you out of the 97th round of Hide-and-Seek, or Slime, or Barbies, or whatever super fun activity you’d normally be stoked to do with your kids, but all this forced family fun with no breaks is slowly driving you insane. But maybe it’s just me.
Here are some things you can be doing around the house during the freeze, if you haven’t already:
Are You Running Your Pool Equipment?
When the temperature drops below freezing, you need to keep the water moving, and also keep the water level up. Sometimes in an extended freeze, the surface will start to form ice anyway, and you should go out and break that up. Step outside periodically to check the water level, check to see if ice is forming, and check the equipment and filter for ice. Do you see the photo above of my house? Yes, those are lots of footsteps back and forth to the pool. We looooove our pool. 😩
Did You Turn off Your Sprinkler System?
So many people forget to do this and end up not only damaging their system, but freezing sidewalks, driveways, and streets unnecessarily. This won’t take you very long, but you can tinker around in the garage for a while for good measure.
Have You Covered Your Outdoor Faucets?
If you haven’t done this yet, don’t bother trekking up to the hardware store to get an “official” hose bib cover. Just wrap them in towels and secure it with a bag and tape like this handy homeowner. (Now, it was about 60 degrees out when we took this picture, but we’ll let that slide because it’s a good example of a DIY solution in a pinch.)
And yes, a Whataburger cup is another solution.
Have You Insulated Exposed Pipes?
The pipes that are most likely to freeze are:
- Outdoor pipes that are exposed like hose bibs and faucets, pool lines, and sprinkler lines;
- Interior pipes in unheated areas like the crawl space in pier-and-beam homes, attics, and garages;
- Pipes that run near exterior walls.
During a freeze, you should insulate the interior and exterior pipes that you can access, keep water dripping, and open cabinet doors. Again, if you haven’t already done this, don’t run to the hardware store. Check out the attic, crawl space, and/or exterior of your home for exposed pipes and wrap them up with whatever you have handy.
After: Check For Leaks
After this round of ice and snow passes, if you are concerned about hidden or slow water leaks, find your water meter (out front, in your yard, or in the back alley) and follow these steps. Can you open your water meter lid? If so, turn off every fixture that uses water (NOT your water heaters), open the plastic or metal lid of your meter, and watch the low flow indicator (see pictures) for at least a minute. If it moves, it means freshwater is moving toward your home and is most likely an indication of a leak.
Stay safe and warm this week, and best of luck with however much forced quality time you have left with your housemates. If you live alone, I salute you. Perhaps you would like to spend some time with some stir-crazy small children?
