If you want to make sure that you are not going to be as likely to deal with frozen pipes during the winter, you will want to make use of the following tips. You will want to take action to secure your pipes well before the winter weather hits so you do not encounter any problems.

Add Insulation To The Outside Of The Pipes

You will want to cover all of the plumbing pipes that you can see with some sort of insulation. There are a few types of material that can be used. You can use extra pieces of regular fiberglass insulation, wrap it around the pipes, and then secure it in place with duct tape. You can also purchase foam tubes that are already cut down the side so they can be easily placed around pipes. To help ensure that those do not come off, you will want to secure them with tape.

Open The Cabinets

During the coldest nights of the winter, you will want to do your best to make sure that plenty of heat reaches the pipes under your sinks. One easy way to do this is to open the doors of the cabinet under your sinks. For extreme cases, you could use a portable heater and turn it so it faces the exposed pipes. Just make sure that the heater is not too close to the pipes so they do not become damaged. When the pipes under the sink are kept nice and warm, the heat within that section of the pipes should radiate further down the line of the pipes to prevent other areas from freezing as well.

Allow A Steady Drip Of Water

You will want to open the valves within your sinks by turning both the hot and cold water on. However, instead of having the water run full blast, simply turn them on just enough so they slightly drip. This slow movement of water should help prevent your pipes from completely freezing. Then, a few times during the day, especially first thing after waking up and right before going to bed, you will want to turn on the water full blast. That should help break up any sections that were starting to freeze a little bit.

Use Heat Tape

Wrap heat tape around exposed pipes, as this should help keep them in perfect working condition all winter long. Do make sure that you are using the proper heat tape for the type of pipes that you have in your house. A plumber or a skilled contractor can assist you with this.

When you take the proper action, you should not have to worry about dealing with frozen pipes in the middle of winter.