We have a rare hard-freeze predicted for the next few nights. Unlike many northern states, the main water pipes into homes here in the southwest are external and exposed to the elements. According to the Building Research Council, the danger of pipes freezing and possibly bursting occurs when the outside temperature hits 20 degrees or below. We may just hit this mark tonight.

The best way to prevent pipes from freezing is fairly intuitive- you have to stop the transfer of heat from the water pipe to the colder surrounding air. The easiest way to protect pipes is to fit them with insulation sleeves or wrapping.

We didn't have anything fancy on hand, but our solution should work. We took an old wool blanket and completely wrapped the pipes from the ground up to where they meet the house. Next we completely encased the wrapped pipes in multiple layers of heavy blue plastic tarp. This should provide multiple layers of insulation, deflect the wind and hopefully do a good job of protecting them.

Another suggestion from the site is that many bathroom and kitchens have plumbing running along the outside wall. They recommend that you keep cabinets open to allow warmer air to circulate around the interior wall where the pipes enter the house.

Another idea is to allow the faucets to drip a bit. The water flow may not prevent water from freezing but it minimizes the chance of pipes bursting because there's no pressure buildup.