Tennessee winters are mostly mild, which is exactly why a hard freeze catches so many homes off guard. Pipes in crawl spaces, garages, and outside walls are often the first to feel it.
A frozen pipe can crack, and a cracked pipe can flood a floor once it thaws. Most of that damage is preventable with a little prep.
Start With the Pipes Most Likely to Freeze
Not every pipe is at risk. Focus on the ones that sit in cold air.
- Outdoor spigots and hose bibs
- Pipes in crawl spaces and unheated garages
- Plumbing along exterior walls, especially under sinks
- Irrigation lines and backflow devices
Nashville’s Metro Water Services points to outdoor hose bibs as some of the pipes most likely to freeze, so start there.
Prep the Outside of Your Home
- Disconnect garden hoses and drain them
- Cover outdoor spigots with insulated covers
- Drain your irrigation system before temperatures drop
- Close crawl space vents
- Keep garage doors closed if water lines run through the garage
These take an afternoon and cost very little. They also handle the spots that freeze first.
Protect the Plumbing Inside
Inside, the goal is simple. Keep warm air around the pipes and keep water moving.
Metro Water Services’ cold weather guidance recommends these steps when extreme cold is on the way.
- Let cold water drip from faucets on exposed pipes
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warm air reaches the plumbing
- Keep the thermostat at the same setting day and night
- If you leave home, keep the heat on and set no lower than 55°F
- Insulate exposed pipes
Move cleaning products out of reach when you open those cabinets, especially with kids in the house.
Find Your Water Shutoff Valve Now
If a pipe bursts, every minute of running water adds to the damage. You don’t want to be hunting for the valve with water on the floor.
- Check the basement, crawl space, utility closet or near the water heater
- Look under the kitchen sink as well
- Test the valve to be sure it turns
- Tag it so everyone in the house can find it
If you can’t find a shutoff valve, or it won’t turn, call a plumber before the cold arrives.
Let a Pro Handle the Winter Checklist
Some of this is easy, and some of it means crawling under the house in the cold. For homeowners who’d rather skip that, Harper’s Handyman offers home winterizing services in Middle Tennessee, covering spigots, exposed pipes, weatherstripping, and the small gaps cold air sneaks through.
Vacant homes and rentals deserve extra attention, since nobody is there to notice a problem early.
Seal the Drafts While You’re at It
The same gaps that let cold air reach your pipes also drive up your heating bill.
- Replace worn weatherstripping on exterior doors
- Caulk gaps around windows and trim
- Seal openings where pipes and wires enter the house
- Check that the crawl space door closes tight
Your Hard Freeze Checklist
- Hoses disconnected and spigots covered
- Irrigation drained and crawl space vents closed
- Faucets dripping and cabinet doors open on cold nights
- Thermostat steady, never below 55°F when you’re away
- Shutoff valve found, tested, and tagged
A Tennessee hard freeze doesn’t come often, but when it does, the homes that prepped are the ones that stay dry.