A Guide to Surviving a South Austin Freeze

(Or: Why Your House Is Tough, But Not “Arctic Tundra” Tough)

Homes in Austin are not built for cold weather. They can handle a short freeze just fine, but when temperatures stay below freezing for extended periods, your house starts feeling stress in places it didn’t even know it had. If a plumber were writing this blog, here’s what they’d tell you.

First, they’d laugh gently and say, “Y’all build houses for heat, not for Minnesota.” Then they’d get serious. Because extended cold is not just uncomfortable. It’s expensive.

The Goal: Keep Water Moving and Pipes Warm

Frozen pipes don’t burst because they’re weak. They burst because water expands when it freezes. If water can’t move and has nowhere to go, something gives. And that “something” is usually your wall, your ceiling, or your wallet.

A plumber’s mission during a freeze is simple. Keep water flowing. Keep pipes warm. Reduce pressure. Here’s how to do that.

Inside Your Home

Let faucets drip.
Especially the ones on exterior walls. You don’t need Niagara Falls. A steady drip is enough to keep water moving and relieve pressure.

Open cabinet doors.
Under sinks in kitchens and bathrooms. This lets warm air reach the pipes hiding in those dark little caves.

Know where your main water shutoff is.
Not “I think it’s in the garage somewhere.” Actually know. If a pipe bursts, the fastest way to minimize damage is shutting off the water immediately.

Keep your home heated, even if you’re leaving.
Do not turn the heat off. Set it no lower than the mid-50s. Pipes freeze faster in empty homes because no one is there generating warmth.

Outside Your Home

Disconnect and drain hoses.
That hose full of water is basically a frozen bomb attached to your house.

Cover exterior spigots.
Those little foam covers actually matter. They insulate the most vulnerable part of your plumbing system.

Insulate exposed pipes.
Anywhere you can see a pipe, especially in garages, attics, or exterior walls, deserves insulation. Pipe wrap is cheap. Repairs are not.

Turn off and drain irrigation systems.
Sprinkler lines freeze fast and break quietly. You often don’t find out until spring, when your yard turns into a water park.

If It Gets Really Cold

This is the part plumbers always emphasize. Dripping faucets and insulation are great for short freezes. When temperatures stay below freezing for long stretches, you have to think defensively. Let more than one faucet drip. Prioritize exterior walls. Keep doors open inside your home so warm air circulates. Don’t assume “it’ll be fine” because that’s how people end up meeting plumbers at 3am.

The South Austin Reality

Our homes are amazing at handling heat. They are not amazing at handling days of sustained cold. That doesn’t make them bad houses. It just means they were built for the climate we actually live in.

A plumber will tell you this isn’t about panic. It’s about preparation.

Because the cost of a little dripping water and a few foam covers is nothing compared to the cost of drywall repair, flooring replacement, mold remediation, and a plumber becoming your new best friend. Protect the pipes. Protect the house. Protect the bank account.

And remember, the goal during a freeze is not comfort. It’s survival.