Guides ยท Updated 2026-11-13
How do I get my DFW home ready for a freeze?
Quick answer: Disconnect your garden hoses, cover outdoor faucets, wrap the sprinkler backflow preventer, and find your main water shutoff before the first hard freeze. It takes about 15 minutes.
Step by step
- Disconnect every garden hose. Water left in a hose can back up and freeze inside the faucet.
- Put an insulated cover on each outdoor faucet.
- Wrap the sprinkler backflow preventer (the brass fitting near the meter) with an insulated cover or old towels and plastic.
- Find your main water shutoff now and make sure it turns. If a pipe bursts, this is what stops the water.
- During a hard freeze, open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
The Home Maintenance Minute
Find your main water shutoff today, not during a burst pipe. Snap a photo of where it is and keep it on your phone.
Find your main water shutoff today, not during a burst pipe. Snap a photo of where it is and keep it on your phone.
When to call a pro
Call a licensed plumber if a pipe is frozen and you can't reach it, or if you see a crack or leak.
By The Home Keeper Team. General information only, not a substitute for a licensed pro.