Home › Blog › Freeze checklist
Richardson Freeze Checklist: Protect Your Pipes Before It Drops
A hard freeze doesn’t hit Richardson often, which is exactly why so many pipes split when one does. Work through this list in the fall, again the day before a freeze, and once more after the thaw. It follows American Red Cross guidance and what Richardson learned in Winter Storm Uri.
Before winter
In the fall
- Find your main water shutoff and make sure it turns. In most Richardson slab homes it’s in the garage, near the water heater, or in the meter box by the curb.
- Buy a meter key if your only shutoff is in the curb box.
- Insulate exposed pipes in the attic, garage and under sinks with pipe sleeves or UL-listed heat tape.
- Find out where your water lines run through exterior walls; those freeze first.
- Save the number of a plumber and a water damage company in your phone.
Freeze forecast
The day before a hard freeze
- Disconnect, drain and store garden hoses.
- Close indoor valves that feed outdoor faucets, and leave the outdoor faucets open so trapped water can expand.
- Shut the garage door if water lines run through the garage.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes.
- Set the thermostat to one temperature for day and night.
- Charge phones and flashlights; a power outage is what turns a cold night into frozen pipes.
During the freeze
While it’s below freezing
- Let cold water drip from faucets on exposed pipes.
- Keep the heat on; if you leave, keep it no lower than 55 degrees.
- If a faucet gives only a trickle, the pipe is probably frozen. Leave it open and warm the pipe with a hair dryer, heating pad or hot, wet towels.
- Never use a blowtorch, propane or kerosene heater, or any open flame on a pipe.
- If you can’t reach or thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.
If a pipe bursts
Shut off the main water valve, open the lowest faucet to drain the lines, turn off breakers for wet rooms if it’s safe, photograph everything, and call (972) 947-2040. See frozen pipe water damage for the full steps.
After the thaw
Once temperatures rise
Split pipes often stay sealed by ice and start leaking only when it melts. So check the house even if the freeze seemed to pass quietly.
- Look at ceilings and walls along exterior walls, under sinks and in the garage for stains or drips.
- Run the 15-minute meter test: shut off all water and watch whether the meter moves.
- Check the water heater closet and the attic if you have lines up there.
- Close the cabinet doors and turn off the dripping faucets.
Timing
When Richardson freezes, and how cold is too cold
At DFW Airport, the closest long-running weather station, the average first freeze is November 22 and the average last freeze is March 12, according to the National Weather Service. So the fall list belongs in early November.
A light frost rarely bursts pipes. Testing by the University of Illinois Building Research Council found uninsulated pipes in an unheated attic start to freeze when the outside temperature falls to 20°F or below. Treat a forecast low of 20°F or colder as your signal to run the full day-before list, and do it sooner if the cold will last more than one night.
Weak spots
Pipes that freeze first in Richardson homes
- Attic lines. Many Richardson homes run water lines through the attic, where it can be nearly as cold as outside.
- Exterior walls. A kitchen or bathroom sink on an outside wall freezes first. Open the cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes.
- The garage. Water heaters and laundry lines often sit in the garage. Keep the garage door closed during a freeze.
- Hose bibs. Disconnect hoses and add a foam faucet cover.
- Sprinkler backflow preventer. The brass valve assembly above ground in the yard is fully exposed. Shut off the irrigation supply and wrap or cover the device.
- Pool equipment. Keep the pump running during a hard freeze so water keeps moving.
If a frozen line splits, see frozen pipe water damage for what to do next. Renters should tell the landlord before a freeze about any pipes in unheated spaces; landlords can see rental property water damage.
Lessons from Uri
What Winter Storm Uri taught Richardson
From February 11 to 20, 2021, Richardson Public Services and Richardson Fire made 878 emergency water shutoffs, crews answered 26 water main breaks, and the fire department took 752 calls. Daily water use hit 32 million gallons, double the normal 16 million, as residents dripped faucets to save their pipes.
The takeaway: know where your shutoff is before you need it, and follow city water requests during a freeze, since dripping protects your pipes but heavy use across the whole city strains the system.
FAQ
Freeze FAQs
When should I start dripping faucets in Richardson?
When a hard freeze is forecast, let cold water drip from faucets served by pipes in exterior walls, the garage or the attic. The Red Cross recommends dripping faucets on exposed pipes when it’s very cold. Follow any city request to limit use: during Winter Storm Uri, dripping pushed Richardson’s daily water use to 32 million gallons, double normal.
Should I turn off my water if I’m leaving during a freeze?
If you’re leaving, the safest move is to keep the heat at no lower than 55 degrees, as the Red Cross advises. Many homeowner policies also exclude freeze damage in an unheated house unless the water was shut off and the lines were drained, so shutting off the main and draining the lines adds protection.
How do I find my main water shutoff?
In most Richardson slab homes it’s in the garage, near the water heater, or in the meter box by the curb. Find it and test it before a freeze, not during one; a curb box may need a meter key, which hardware stores sell.
How cold does it have to get for pipes to freeze in Richardson?
Pipes in an unheated attic or outside wall can start freezing when it drops to about 20°F or below, based on University of Illinois Building Research Council testing. Several hours at that temperature, or a power outage that shuts off the heat, is when Richardson pipes are most at risk.
Does homeowners insurance cover frozen pipes in Texas?
A pipe that bursts suddenly from freezing is often covered, along with the water damage it causes. Many policies exclude freeze damage if the home was not kept heated, or the water was not shut off and drained while it sat empty. Check the freezing clause in your policy.
Sources for this page
Last updated October 30, 2026.
Pipe burst in the freeze?
Shut off the main and call. The sooner the water is out, the smaller the job.