How to prevent frozen pipes in Texas
After 2021, the checklist every North Texas homeowner should know.
By The T.A.P. Team · December 2024 · 6 min read
Texas homes aren't built for hard freezes, so when one hits, pipes freeze and burst — and a burst pipe can flood a house in minutes. The good news is that prevention is simple and cheap: drip your faucets, open cabinets to let warm air reach pipes, disconnect garden hoses, insulate exposed pipe, and know where your main shutoff is. After the 2021 storm, this is essential North Texas know-how. Here's the checklist.
- 1Let faucets drip (a pencil-lead stream).
- 2Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls.
- 3Disconnect and drain garden hoses.
- 4Cover outdoor spigots; insulate exposed pipe.
- 5Find your main water shutoff now — before you need it.
Why Texas pipes freeze and burst
Unlike colder regions, Texas homes often have pipes in exterior walls, attics, and unheated garages with little insulation. When water freezes it expands, and the pressure — not the ice itself — bursts the pipe, usually where it's most exposed. The damage often appears when it thaws and water pours from the crack. Prevention is far cheaper than the repair and flooding.
The night-before checklist
When a hard freeze is forecast, let both hot and cold faucets drip — moving water resists freezing and relieves pressure. Open the cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so household heat reaches the pipes. Disconnect garden hoses (a connected hose can freeze water back into the wall), and cover outdoor spigots with an inexpensive faucet cover.
Insulate the vulnerable spots
Ahead of winter, insulate exposed pipes in the attic, garage, crawlspace, and exterior walls with foam pipe sleeves — cheap and easy. Pay special attention to the water heater lines and any pipe near an outside wall. Sealing drafts near pipes helps too. This is the same readiness mindset as protecting your HVAC in a freeze.
Know your shutoff — and what to do if a pipe bursts
The single most important thing: know where your main water shutoff is and how to close it before an emergency. If a pipe bursts, shut off the main immediately to stop the flooding, then open faucets to drain the system and call a plumber. Finding the shutoff during a crisis, with water pouring in, is exactly the wrong time to learn.
| Before the freeze | Why |
|---|---|
| Drip faucets | Moving water resists freezing |
| Open under-sink cabinets | Lets household heat reach pipes |
| Disconnect hoses | Stops freeze backing into the wall |
| Insulate exposed pipe | Protects attic/garage runs |
| Know the main shutoff | Stops flooding fast if a pipe bursts |
You can DIY
- Drip faucets during a freeze
- Open under-sink cabinet doors
- Disconnect and drain hoses
- Insulate exposed pipes
- Locate the main shutoff
Call a pro
- Thawing pipes inside walls
- Any burst-pipe repair
- Water-damage situations
- Re-piping vulnerable runs
- Adding freeze-proof spigots
Every freeze-prevention step matters, but the one that saves a house is knowing where your main water shutoff is and being able to close it fast. When a pipe bursts, minutes of flooding cause thousands in damage. Locate the shutoff today, make sure it turns, and show everyone in the house — it's the difference between a mess and a disaster.
North Texas and the 2021 freeze
The February 2021 storm burst pipes across DFW because the region's homes and plumbing simply aren't built for sustained hard cold. Homeowners across Plano, Frisco, and McKinney now prep before every freeze — and we help with insulation, freeze-proof spigots, and fast burst-pipe repair. See our plumbing team.
The short version
- Texas pipes burst because they're often in exterior walls, attics, and garages with little insulation.
- Before a hard freeze: drip faucets and open under-sink cabinets on exterior walls.
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor spigots.
- Insulate exposed pipe with cheap foam sleeves ahead of winter.
- It's the pressure from expanding ice — not the ice — that bursts the pipe.
- Know where your main shutoff is and that it works, before you ever need it.
Preventing frozen pipes — frequently asked questions
Freeze in the forecast?
Get vulnerable pipes insulated — or a burst pipe fixed fast. Serving Dallas–Fort Worth & North Texas for over 25 years.