Seasonal guide
Preventing frozen pipes in Ogden
Ogden averages about 121 nights a year at or below freezing, with January lows around 21°F. Here's how to keep pipes from freezing, how to thaw one safely, and what to do first if one bursts.
Know where your main shutoff is
Do this first, before you need it. When a pipe bursts, every minute the water runs costs you. USU Extension recommends that every adult and older child in the house knows where the main water shutoff is and how to turn it off. Find it now, label it, and make sure it turns.
Which pipes freeze
The Red Cross lists the pipes most at risk:
- Pipes in unheated spaces: basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages and kitchen cabinets on outside walls
- Pipes that run along exterior walls with little or no insulation
- Outdoor hose bibs and sprinkler lines
Before the cold sets in
- Disconnect hoses. Remove, drain and store them. Close the inside valves that feed outdoor hose bibs, then open the outside bibs so they drain.
- Drain the sprinklers. See our guide to winterizing sprinklers in Ogden.
- Insulate exposed pipes in unheated areas. The Red Cross says both hot and cold lines should be insulated.
During a cold snap
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warm air reaches pipes on outside walls.
- Drip cold water from faucets served by exposed pipes. Even a trickle helps prevent freezing, though USU Extension notes it wastes water, so keep it to the cold nights.
- Keep the thermostat steady, the same temperature day and night.
Going away?
Leave the heat on. The Red Cross says no lower than 55°F. (An older USU article suggests about 50°F; we'd use the higher number.) For a long winter absence, USU also suggests shutting off the water and draining the system.
If a pipe freezes
No water, or only a trickle, from a faucet on a cold morning usually means a frozen line.
- Keep the faucet open. As the ice melts, running water helps thaw the rest.
- Apply gentle heat to the frozen section: an electric heating pad, a hair dryer, a space heater kept well away from anything flammable, or towels soaked in hot water.
- Never use an open flame: no blowtorch, propane or kerosene heater, or charcoal stove. USU Extension also warns against pouring boiling water on pipes.
- Can't find it or reach it? Call a licensed plumber.
If a pipe bursts
- Shut off the main water supply.
- Open the faucets to drain the water left in the lines.
- Call a licensed plumber. In Ogden, repairing or replacing plumbing needs a permit, which a licensed plumbing contractor normally pulls. See what Utah requires on our plumbers page.
- If water reached floors or walls, dry them quickly and photograph the damage for your insurer.
Every plumber on Best in Ogden has been checked for a real Ogden-area address, local ownership, a Utah license and insurance. See the vetted plumbers.
Frozen pipe questions
What temperature should I leave my house at when I'm away in winter?
The American Red Cross says to leave the heat on and set no lower than 55°F. An older USU Extension article suggests about 50°F; we use the Red Cross figure as the safer of the two.
Should I drip my faucets?
On faucets served by exposed pipes, yes, during cold snaps. The Red Cross says even a trickle of cold water helps prevent freezing. USU Extension notes it wastes water, so treat it as a temporary measure.
How do I thaw a frozen pipe?
Keep the faucet open and apply gentle heat: an electric heating pad, a hair dryer, a space heater kept away from anything flammable, or towels soaked in hot water. Never use an open flame, and USU Extension also warns against boiling water. If you can't find or reach the frozen section, call a licensed plumber.
What should I do first if a pipe bursts?
Shut off the main water supply. USU Extension recommends that every adult and older child in the house knows where the main shutoff is and how to use it.