Key takeaway: Augusta’s freezes are short, but a single hard freeze can split pipes in crawl spaces, outside walls and attics. Before a freezing night, disconnect hoses, close crawl space vents, open sink cabinets on outside walls and let a faucet drip. Insulate exposed pipes before winter.
When to act
Pipes in unheated spaces are at risk once outside temperatures drop well below freezing, especially overnight lows in the low 20s or colder and wind. Augusta gets freezing nights most winters, usually from December through February, and the coldest night of a typical year reaches about 15°F (NOAA). Watch National Weather Service freeze warnings for the CSRA.
Freeze night: what needs action now?
Use this chart when a hard freeze is in the forecast or the pipes are already cold.
- Call now
A pipe has split or is leaking
Shut off the main valve and call right away. - Call now
Hard freeze tonight and pipes in a crawl space
Close the vents, disconnect hoses and let a faucet drip before dark. - Same day
No water at one faucet this morning
The pipe is likely frozen. Warm the area gently or book a same-day visit. - Can wait
Pipes in cold spots, no freeze due
Insulate them and fix drafts before the next cold snap.
Before winter (one-time jobs)
- Insulate pipes in crawl spaces, attics, garages and outside walls with foam pipe sleeves
- Seal gaps where pipes go through outside walls and foundations
- Shut off and drain irrigation systems
- Install insulated covers on outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
- Find your main shut-off valve and make sure it turns: how to shut off your main water valve
Before a freezing night (checklist)
- Disconnect garden hoses from outdoor faucets.
- Close crawl space vents and foundation openings.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls.
- Let a faucet farthest from the main valve drip slowly, cold and hot.
- Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night.
- Keep the garage door closed if pipes run through the garage.
Going away in winter
- Keep the heat on, set no lower than about 55°F
- Ask someone to check the house during a freeze
- For long trips, shut off the main valve and drain the lines
- Turn the water heater to vacation mode or off if the water is off
Heat cable and other upgrades
For a pipe that freezes every year, a plumber can add insulation, install a listed heat cable, or reroute the pipe away from an outside wall. These are cheaper than a burst pipe repair.
If you leave home during a freeze
- Keep the heat on and set no lower than about 55°F
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls
- Shut off the main water valve and open a faucet to drain the lines if you will be gone for several days
- Ask a neighbor to check the house once a day
- Leave the plumber's and the utility's numbers where a house sitter can find them
Signs a pipe has frozen
- A faucet gives only a trickle, or nothing, on a cold morning
- Frost on an exposed pipe in a crawl space or garage
- A toilet that does not refill after you flush
- A strange smell from a drain, as air cannot escape through a frozen line
- A bulge or crack in a pipe
If you find a frozen pipe, open the faucet it feeds and warm the area slowly with a hair dryer or space heater kept away from anything that can burn. Never use an open flame. If the pipe has split, shut off the main valve first. See frozen pipe repair.
If a pipe freezes anyway
Open the faucet, warm the pipe slowly without an open flame, and watch for leaks as it thaws. If you cannot find or reach the frozen spot, or it has split, see frozen pipe repair or burst pipe repair.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, engineering weather data for Augusta, GA (median extreme low 15°F). National Weather Service Columbia, SC office (forecasts for the CSRA).
