Hard freeze · Metro Atlanta

Hard Freeze in Atlanta: How to Keep Pipes From Bursting

A few minutes now can save a wall, a ceiling and a floor. Do the five steps below before dark. If a pipe already burst, shut off the main valve and call.

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Smell gas, see sparks or fire? Leave the house and call 911 first.

Alert windowNo active alert right nowDo these steps any night the forecast drops well below freezing.

Most at riskCrawl spacesExterior wallsAtticsGarages

Before tonight

Five steps before dark

Tick them off as you go.

Find the main water shut-offUsually where the water line enters the house. Make sure it turns.Disconnect hoses, cover outdoor spigotsA foam cover or a towel and a plastic bag will do.Close crawl space ventsBlock gaps where cold air blows in around pipes.Open cabinets under sinks on outside wallsLets warm air reach the supply lines.Drip a faucet and keep the heat onEven if you're away overnight. A slow drip is enough.

A dark crawl space under a house with exposed pipes

Crawl spaces are where many Atlanta pipes run. Start there.

Numbers to keep handy

Three numbers to keep handy

Each number connects you with an independent local pro who handles that work in metro Atlanta.

Basement with standing water across the floor

Water damage

If a pipe bursts

Shut off the main valve first. Turn off power to wet rooms if the breaker is safe to reach. Then call.

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A frosted copper pipe in a cold crawl space

Plumbing

If a pipe is frozen

Little or no water from a faucet usually means a frozen line. Never use an open flame to thaw it.

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Thermostat on a hallway wall set to heat, warm evening lamp light

Heating and cooling

If you lose heat

Check the thermostat batteries and the breaker. If the heat still won't come on, keep cabinet doors open and call.

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After the freeze

When it warms up, check these

Leaks often show up as the ice melts, not while it's cold.

Turn faucets on one at a time

Weak or no flow can mean a pipe is still frozen somewhere.

Look at ceilings and walls

Stains, bubbling paint or a soft spot near a bathroom or kitchen.

Watch the water meter

With everything off, a moving dial points to a hidden leak.

Check the crawl space

Standing water or wet insulation needs drying before mold starts.