Frozen water pipes - how to deal with it

[Dan Marl]

Hello everyone. I have a home for rent in Northern Texas (Dallas) that was built around 2022, and the water pipes are in the attic. I live out of state in a warm place, so I don't have experience with freezing pipes. 

My tenants left for vacation 1 week ago and won't be back for another 2 weeks. Well, the last few days there was a freezing storm that brought the temperature down to 19F for about another 3 days.  The temperature will be above 40 F in 3 days. 

I had my handyman come over to let the faucet drip so the water in the pipes wouldn't freeze. He said no water came out of the faucet, and also said that the tenant had turned off the master water valve before they left. The handyman left the main valve to closed and set the water faucet to a dripping position (with no water coming out)

This is what I think could happen:

1. The tenants turned off the main water valve, then released the water from the faucets - hence no water came out

2. The tenants turned off the main water valve, but the remaining water in the pipes froze.

What should I do in the meantime? What should I do when the tenants come back? 

Do you think I should leave the main water valve closed and the faucet set to the dripping position? When the tenants come back, then have them open the main valve and see if there are any burst pipes in the attic?  

What should I do? 

Thank you

[Diego Alvarado]

Hi @Dan Marl

Once a year we have this situation in Texas, in general pipes burst after a few frozen days.

The winterize process that you should do in vacant homes to prevent plumbing situation is:

- Shut Down Water Line in the water meter.

- Drain pipes, open all faucets (cold and hot).

- Flush Toilets to remove remaining water.

- Protect external faucets with an outdoor faucet cover.

- Keep HVAC running at a minimum of 55F

- Open vanity doors and cabinets where pipes are running.

At this moment don't do anything until temperatures are over 32F for good amount of time. If your handyman won't go to the attic where the lines are running, then you have to find someone else that will be looking at the pipes when you turn on the water lines again.

If you need any referral reach out, I have a few plumbers and handymans that can help you out.