Mild winters create a false sense of security. Because Stillwater averages only around 12 days a year below freezing, a lot of exposed pipe and hose bibs never get insulated the way they would in a colder climate. One hard freeze can catch an entire neighborhood off guard, and it usually does.
Which Pipes Are Actually at Risk
- Exterior hose bibs: The most common source of winter pipe failure, since they connect directly to interior lines with no insulation of their own.
- Crawlspace lines: Especially in older homes without a modern vapor barrier or insulated crawlspace.
- Pipes along exterior walls: Even inside the house, a supply line running along an uninsulated exterior wall is more exposed than one running through interior framing.
- Any line that's failed before: If a pipe froze in a past winter, it's worth checking whether it ever got properly insulated afterward.
What to Do Before the First Hard Freeze
Disconnect and drain garden hoses, and install insulated covers on exterior hose bibs if you haven't already. In a crawlspace, check for gaps where cold air gets in around vents or access doors. For any exposed pipe you've identified as a risk, foam pipe insulation from a hardware store is inexpensive and takes an afternoon to install.
During an Active Freeze
Let faucets connected to exposed pipes drip slightly. Moving water is harder to freeze than still water, and a small trickle relieves pressure if ice does start to form somewhere in the line. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warmer house air can reach the pipes underneath.
What This Past Winter Showed
When a hard freeze hit hard enough to affect the city's own Kaw Lake pump station, calls came in from across Stillwater at once, mostly from homes with exposed lines that had never been insulated. It's a reminder that even a short cold snap here can do real damage if a home isn't ready for it.
If a Pipe Already Burst
Shut off your main water valve immediately, this limits damage more than anything else you can do. If you don't know where it is, that's worth finding out before winter, not during an emergency. Once water is off, call for emergency repair. A burst pipe found and shut off quickly is a much smaller job than one that ran for hours before anyone noticed.