Winter Plumbing Tips: Protecting Your Home Through the Coldest Months

A practical, plumber-tested checklist for winterizing a Central Texas home — the steps that actually prevent burst pipes when the next hard freeze rolls through.

Texas winters are mild until they aren't. The freezes that do real damage are the ones nobody planned for — Uri-style events that drop temperatures for days and find every uninsulated pipe in the house. Here's the checklist we'd run on our own homes.

Why winterizing actually matters here

Two payoffs: protection from burst pipes and structural water damage, and lower repair costs from catching small issues before they become emergencies. A weekend of prep costs nothing compared to a slab repipe.

14 winter plumbing checks worth doing

1. Insulate exposed pipes

Foam sleeves on any pipe in an unheated space — attic, garage, exterior wall, crawl space. The cheapest insurance policy you'll buy.

2. Seal drafts and leaks

Cold air finding its way to a pipe is what makes the pipe freeze. Seal gaps at sill plates, around hose bibs, and where pipes pass through walls.

3. Drip faucets during a freeze

A pencil-thin stream off the cold tap relieves pressure in the line. Pressure — not ice itself — is what bursts pipes.

4. Disconnect garden hoses

A hose left attached traps water against the bib and back into the wall. Disconnect, drain, store inside.

5. Insulate outdoor faucets

Foam covers slip over hose bibs in 30 seconds and last years. Combine with the disconnect step above.

6. Hold the house above 55°F

Even when you're traveling. The energy bill is cheaper than a flooded living room.

7. Open cabinet doors

Sinks on exterior walls — kitchen, sometimes a bath — let warm room air reach the supply lines.

8. Know your main shutoff

Find it before you need it. When a line bursts, every second of water on the floor is dollars in damage. Practice opening and closing it now.

9. Test your sump pump

Pour a bucket of water in. It should kick on, pump out, and shut off cleanly.

10. Consider pipe heating cables

For chronic problem spots — a long run through a cold attic, for example — heat cable is purpose-built and cheap to run.

11. Drain irrigation lines

Sprinkler manifolds and backflow preventers freeze first and cost the most to fix. Blow them out before the first hard freeze.

12. Inspect the water heater

Winter is its hardest season. Look for rust, listen for popping (sediment), check the T&P valve, and consider a flush.

13. Build an emergency kit

A pipe wrench, a pack of SharkBite couplings in a few sizes, a roll of plumber's tape, a flashlight, and your shutoff key. When something fails at 2 AM, having the right thing in the right drawer matters.

14. Get a professional walkthrough

If you've never had a plumber walk your home before winter, it's worth it once. We catch the things that look fine but won't survive a Uri-level freeze.

Need a winter check?

Call us at 830-214-4133 and we'll schedule a winter walkthrough — written diagnosis and price before any work. Serving New Braunfels and the Hill Country.