Keep the house at 55°F or warmer, even when you’re away, and insulate any pipe that runs through a crawlspace, garage, attic or outside wall. On the coldest nights, open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls and let a faucet drip. Disconnect garden hoses before the first freeze and shut off and drain outdoor spigots that aren’t frost-free.

At 6,000 to 7,000 feet, Flagstaff, Durango and Jackson see long stretches below freezing, and second homes that sit empty are the most at risk. Learn where your main water shutoff is now, so a split pipe costs you a mopped floor instead of a flooded basement.

If a pipe has already frozen, don’t thaw it with an open flame. Element’s plumbers thaw frozen lines safely and repair the damage at all four locations, and a pipe that has already split is a 24/7 emergency call anywhere we work.