Water Extraction Guides · Causes & Prevention

How to Prevent Burst Pipes in a Louisiana Winter

Louisiana winters are mild by most measures, and that mildness is part of the risk. Pipes in Louisiana homes are often run through unheated spaces, along exterior walls, and in attics and crawl spaces, because deep cold is not the norm. When a cold snap does arrive, those pipes are exposed, and a pipe that freezes can split, pouring water into the home when it thaws. Prevention is a matter of a few simple habits, done before the cold arrives.

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This guide covers general prevention habits for burst pipes, for homes in Marrero and Harvey alike, without claiming that freezing is common in any specific place. For the service itself, the burst pipe water extraction page gives a general outline.

Know where your pipes are

The first step in prevention is knowing where your pipes run. Pipes in unheated spaces, such as attics, crawl spaces, and garages, and pipes along exterior walls, are the ones most exposed when the temperature drops. Pipes to outdoor taps and to rooms that are rarely heated are exposed too. A walk through the home, noting where the pipes run and which rooms stay cold, gives you the map you need before the cold arrives.

Knowing where the water shut-off is matters just as much. If a pipe does burst, the water is stopped by shutting it off, and every minute of running water adds to the job. Find the main shut-off now, make sure it turns, and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is.

Insulate exposed pipes

Pipes in unheated spaces can be wrapped with insulation, which slows the loss of heat from the water inside and gives the pipe more time before it reaches freezing. Insulation is fitted around the pipe, with no gaps, and it is held in place so that it stays put through the winter. Outdoor taps can be covered, and the water supply to them can be shut off from inside where a valve is fitted for that purpose.

Insulation does not make a pipe freeze-proof, and it is not a promise that a pipe will never burst. It buys time, and it reduces the risk, and that is what prevention is: a set of habits that make a bad outcome less likely, not a promise that it will never happen.

The first habit is knowing where your pipes run. Pipes in unheated spaces, such as attics, crawl spaces, and garages, and pipes along exterior walls, are the ones most exposed when the temperature drops. A walk through the home, noting where the pipes run and which rooms stay cold, gives you the map you need before the cold arrives, and it takes only a few minutes.

How to Prevent Burst Pipes in a Louisiana Winter — Louisiana water guide

Keep the home warm and the water moving

When a cold snap is forecast, keep the home heated, including rooms that are rarely used. A room that is left cold lets the pipes in its walls cool down, and a pipe in a cold wall is a pipe at risk. Open the cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls, so that warm air from the room can reach the pipes inside. A small flow of water through a tap, left running slowly overnight during a hard freeze, keeps water moving through the pipes, and moving water is harder to freeze than still water.

These are general habits, and they are worth doing before the cold arrives rather than during it. A cold snap in Louisiana is often short, and a few hours of preparation before it arrives is enough to make a real difference to the risk.

Insulation is the second habit. Pipes in unheated spaces can be wrapped with insulation, which slows the loss of heat from the water inside and gives the pipe more time before it reaches freezing. Outdoor taps can be covered, and the water supply to them can be shut off from inside where a valve is fitted for that purpose. Insulation does not make a pipe freeze-proof, but it buys time, and it reduces the risk.

What to do if a pipe freezes

If a pipe freezes, the signs are a tap that gives no water, a pipe that feels very cold to the touch, or a bulge in the pipe where the ice has formed. Do not try to thaw the pipe with an open flame, and do not use a high-heat device on it. If you can safely reach the water shut-off from a dry place, shut the water off, because a frozen pipe can split as it thaws, and the water will pour out when it does.

Call a plumber for the pipe itself, and call (877) 624-0105 if water has already entered the home. Availability is confirmed on the call. Never handle electrics in standing water, and never enter a flooded building.

Keeping the home warm and the water moving is the third habit. When a cold snap is forecast, keep the home heated, including rooms that are rarely used, and open the cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls, so that warm air from the room can reach the pipes inside. A small flow of water through a tap, left running slowly overnight during a hard freeze, keeps water moving through the pipes.

A short checklist before winter

Before winter, walk the home and note the exposed pipes, make sure the shut-off turns and everyone knows where it is, insulate the pipes in unheated spaces, and cover the outdoor taps. When a cold snap is forecast, keep the home heated, open the cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls, and keep water moving through the pipes overnight.

These habits take an afternoon, and they are worth doing every year, because a burst pipe is a fast and expensive water event, and prevention is far simpler than the job that follows. A pipe that never bursts is a job that never happens.

Knowing where the water shut-off is matters as much as any of the other habits. If a pipe does burst, the water is stopped by shutting it off, and every minute of running water adds to the job. Find the main shut-off now, make sure it turns, and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is.

Key Takeaways

The first step in prevention is knowing where your pipes run.
Pipes in unheated spaces can be wrapped with insulation, which slows the loss of heat from the water inside and gives the pipe more time before it reaches freezing.
When a cold snap is forecast, keep the home heated, including rooms that are rarely used.
If a pipe freezes, the signs are a tap that gives no water, a pipe that feels very cold to the touch, or a bulge in the pipe where the ice has formed.
Before winter, walk the home and note the exposed pipes, make sure the shut-off turns and everyone knows where it is, insulate the pipes in unheated spaces, and cover the outdoor taps.

Questions About How to Prevent Burst Pipes in a Louisiana Winter

Do pipes really freeze in Louisiana?

Louisiana winters are mild, but cold snaps do arrive, and pipes in unheated spaces, along exterior walls, and in attics and crawl spaces are exposed when they do. No claim is made here about freezing being common in any specific place.

What is the most useful prevention habit?

Knowing where your water shut-off is, and making sure it turns, is the most useful habit of all. Insulating exposed pipes and keeping the home heated during a cold snap are the next most useful.

Should I leave a tap running during a freeze?

A small flow of water through a tap, left running slowly overnight during a hard freeze, keeps water moving through the pipes, and moving water is harder to freeze than still water. This is a general habit for a cold snap.

What do I do if a pipe has already frozen?

Do not thaw it with an open flame or a high-heat device. Shut the water off if you can safely reach the shut-off from a dry place, and call a plumber for the pipe. If water has entered the home, call (877) 624-0105.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Burst Pipe Water Extraction page explains what that service covers, and the water removal page explains what that service covers when water has spread to more than one room.

Do not enter flooded rooms while you wait, and if water is leaking, turn off the shut-off valve for that fixture where you can reach it safely from dry ground.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after bringing used fixtures home.

Water extraction help is available across Louisiana. See water extraction in Jena, LA for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.