How can plumbing be prepared for cold seasons?

To prevent water damage and frozen pipes during cold seasons:

1. Prepare the outdoor faucets – remove and drain water hoses and store them indoors.
2. Shut off the external water supply, and open the outdoor faucets to allow residual water to drain.
3. Insulate outdoor faucets with foam faucet covers.
4. Insulate pipes to prevent freezing, especially in unheated areas of the home.
5. Maintain a temperature inside of at least 65⁰F (18.3⁰C).
6. Test the heating system so you know it will work properly through the winter.
7. Hire an HVAC technician to check the furnace’s efficiency.
8. Close vents in the home that may have been opened for warm weather.
9. Furnaces, boilers, and chimneys should be serviced and cleaned if it has been more than 12 months since the last service.
10. Test the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors – residential fires are more common in winter and carbon monoxide can be a byproduct of heating if the customer's home has a gas furnace.
11. Fix any existing leaks now – inspect pipes and have leaks repaired.
12. Know where the water main is in case you need to shut it off.
13. If there are any stretches of extremely cold weather, keep a small stream of water running in a few faucets to guard against freezing/bursting pipes. Moving water is harder to freeze!