How to Keep Your Pipes From Freezing in Skagit Valley

Most winters in Skagit Valley are mild, and that's exactly why frozen pipes catch people off guard. When cold Fraser River outflow winds push down from Canada, temperatures can drop well below freezing for several days in a row. Homes that never have a problem in a normal winter can end up with a split pipe in the crawlspace.

We're a family-owned water damage company based in Bow, and every cold snap brings calls from Mount Vernon, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, Anacortes and La Conner. Here's what we tell homeowners to do before the cold arrives.

Where pipes freeze in Skagit homes

In our area, the pipes that freeze are usually the ones you can't see:

• Crawlspace supply lines, especially near foundation vents and along the outside walls.
• Hose bibs (outdoor faucets) and the pipe just inside the wall behind them.
• Pipes in exterior walls, often under kitchen and bathroom sinks.
• Unheated garages, shops and pump houses, including well pressure tanks on rural properties.
• Manufactured homes, where supply lines run under the floor behind the skirting.

Before the first freeze

1. Disconnect garden hoses. A hose left attached traps water in the faucet, and that's where it freezes and splits.
2. Cover outdoor faucets. Foam faucet covers cost a few dollars at any hardware store in Burlington or Mount Vernon.
3. Close or cover crawlspace vents on the side the cold wind comes from. Open them again once the cold snap passes so the crawlspace can stay dry.
4. Check your crawlspace pipe insulation. Look for gaps, fallen sleeves or insulation that rodents have pulled down. Replace anything missing.
5. Find your main water shutoff now. Know where it is and make sure it turns. If a pipe breaks at 2 a.m., you don't want to be looking for it with a flashlight.
6. Check heat tape if your home has it. Make sure it's plugged in and the indicator light is on.

During a cold snap

• Keep the heat on, at least 55°F, even if you're away.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
• Let faucets drip on outside walls. Moving water is much harder to freeze.
• Keep the garage door closed if water lines run through it.
• Ask a neighbor to check on your house if you're traveling. A furnace that quits while you're gone is how a small leak turns into a flooded house.

Signs a pipe has already frozen

• A faucet that gives only a trickle, or nothing at all.
• Frost on a pipe you can see.
• A pipe that's bulging or cracked.
• The sound of running water when nothing is on.

If you think a pipe is frozen, keep the faucet open and warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer or space heater kept at a safe distance. Never use an open flame. If you can't reach it, or you see a crack, shut off the main water and call a plumber.

The real damage comes when it thaws

A frozen pipe usually doesn't leak until the ice melts. That's why we often get calls a day or two after a cold snap ends, when water has been running into a crawlspace or wall for hours. If that happens, read our guide on What to Do If a Pipe Bursts, shut off your water, and call us.

Hand in Hand Restoration answers calls live, 24/7: 360-770-0058. We handle water removal, structural drying and repairs across Skagit County, Whatcom County, Snohomish County and Island County. A plumber fixes the pipe; we take care of the damage the water caused.