The country has had many winter storms recently. Most of them have not affected Texas as bad as other parts of the country. We are also fortunate that a lot of our construction is ranch style houses that places a lot of our plumbing in the ground, through a slab, and up through interior walls. And if we keep the temperatures outside above 32 degrees most of the time, the event of a frozen pipe is unlikely. But they still happen.



Multi-story homes are more prone to plumbing that runs through unheated spaces in the structure. Water heaters in 2nd story closets or in the attic spaces also create situations that can be hazardous to broken pipes and water leaks. Local building codes have improved significantly to help avoid problems through increased regulation on how things get built or refurbished, but they are not foolproof. And in the end, it is the owner of the property who has to be on their toes to insure the risk of a water loss is minimized.



Simple things like covering exposed exterior water faucets can greatly reduce the risk of freezing pipes. Not every builder put enough insulation in the exterior walls around plumbing connections and the exterior cap can help prevent the inside part of the faucet from freezing and causing damage to your home. Likewise, any cabinet that sits on an outside facing wall with plumbing running through it will probably get colder than the surrounding open spaces during such an event. Most hardware stores carry insulated sleeves that can be fitted over the pipes under a cabinet which can help them from freezing.



The family’s winter vacation is also a time when you might find yourself thinking that we can save some money by lowering the temperature in the house while we are gone so that our heating bill isn't that high. OK, that makes some sense, but make sure that you set the temperature so that the interior of the house doesn't drop below what your insurer considers to be a reasonable temperature while it is unoccupied. Open cabinet doors under sinks so that the temperature there does not fall too low during the time you will be away. And even though it is unlikely that the temperature in the house will not get too cold, turn off the supply lines to your clothes washing machine to avoid damage caused by a ruptured supply hose.



A wise buyer will also check out the coverage afforded by their homeowner's insurance policy. Make sure you understand what the policy covers, what it excludes and what the deductibles are. Many policies provide for sudden and accidental damage caused by water leaks. Some, but not all, will provide for water damage from slow leaks that take a long time to discover. Some policies provide for slab removal and replacement when the damage is in the foundation. And a wise buyer knows that you get what you pay for! Judging a homeowners policy exclusively on price is not the wisest decision you can make to insure the value of your most expensive asset.