Preventing frozen pipes in Colorado means staying ahead of the cold rather than reacting to it. Denver and the Front Range regularly see overnight lows well below 0°F — cold enough to freeze exposed or poorly insulated pipes within hours. The good news is that most pipe freezes are preventable with a combination of insulation, temperature management, and a few habits during cold snaps. A burst pipe from freezing can release hundreds of gallons of water before you notice, so the investment in prevention pays for itself many times over.

Insulate Pipes in Vulnerable Locations

Not all pipes in your home face the same risk. The ones most likely to freeze are those running through unheated spaces — exterior walls, crawl spaces, garages, attics, and unheated basements. Start by identifying where your pipes run and which sections are exposed to cold. Foam pipe insulation (pipe sleeves) is inexpensive, available at any hardware store, and cuts easily with scissors to fit around most supply lines. For very exposed sections, heat tape (electric heat cable) can be wrapped around the pipe and plugged in during cold spells — it provides active warmth to prevent freezing. Make sure any heat tape you purchase is rated for the specific application (some are for plastic pipe, some for metal, some for self-regulating).

Keep Your Thermostat Set Consistently

When you’re home, most people set their thermostat to a comfortable temperature in the 68–72°F range. The risk comes from overnight setbacks and from leaving the home for extended periods. A temperature setback below 55°F can allow poorly insulated pipe runs in exterior walls or crawl spaces to approach freezing temperatures. The general rule: never set your thermostat below 55°F, and if you’re leaving for several days during a cold forecast, set it at 60°F or higher. The additional heating cost for a few days is negligible compared to the cost of a burst pipe and water damage repair.

Open Cabinet Doors and Let Faucets Drip

During unusually cold stretches — extended periods below 0°F, which the Denver metro does see several times most winters — two simple tactics help keep pipes from freezing. First, open the cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls. This allows the warmer air inside your home to circulate around the supply lines under the sink rather than trapping cold air against an exterior wall. Second, let cold-water faucets on exterior walls drip slightly. Moving water freezes at a lower temperature than still water, and even a slow drip keeps enough movement in the line to prevent a solid freeze. This isn’t a permanent solution — it’s a cold-snap measure.

Protect Outdoor Hose Bibs and Irrigation Systems

  • Disconnect garden hoses from outdoor spigots before the first hard freeze — a connected hose traps water in the spigot and bib, defeating the design of frost-free spigots
  • If your outdoor spigots are not frost-free (ball-handle style rather than the old compression style), shut off the indoor supply valve and drain the spigot before winter
  • Blow out your irrigation system before October — Colorado frosts can arrive in mid-September at higher elevations and Front Range nights can freeze well before the calendar says winter
  • Insulate backflow preventers and pressure vacuum breakers (PVBs) on irrigation systems — these devices sit above ground and freeze before buried lines do

Know Where Your Main Shut-Off Is

Even with all the right precautions, a pipe can still freeze and burst during an extreme cold event. Knowing exactly where your main water shut-off valve is located — and being able to operate it quickly — limits the water damage when the worst happens. Walk through your home now and find it. Make sure the valve turns freely; shut-offs that haven’t been operated in years sometimes seize. If yours is stuck or in poor condition, a plumber can replace it with a new ball valve that’s easy to operate.

When to Call a Professional

If you discover a pipe that has already frozen but hasn’t burst yet, do not try to thaw it with an open flame — torch fires in wall cavities are a serious risk. A hair dryer on low heat applied slowly from the faucet end toward the frozen section can work on accessible pipes, but for pipes inside walls or in tight spaces, a plumber with the right equipment is the safer call. And if the pipe has already burst, shut off the main water supply immediately and call for emergency service.

Done offers pipe repair and repiping services and emergency plumbing when you need it fast. For questions about protecting your home’s plumbing through a Colorado winter, contact Done — we’ve been serving the Front Range since 1999 and know what this climate demands.