Most winter water damage doesn't come from storms. It comes from a pipe, a spigot or a water heater that fails quietly while nobody's watching. These eight checks take an afternoon and cost very little.
Outside
1. Disconnect garden hoses. A hose left attached traps water in the spigot, where it can freeze and split the pipe inside the wall.
2. Shut off and drain outdoor spigots. If you have an interior shutoff valve for the hose bib, close it and open the outside faucet to drain. Insulated faucet covers add protection.
3. Clean the gutters. Leaves pile up in fall. Clogged gutters overflow, and in a freeze they can form ice dams.
4. Point downspouts away from the house. Aim to discharge water at least 4 to 6 feet from the foundation. See our guide: how far downspouts should drain.
Inside
5. Put a leak sensor under the water heater. Tanks often fail with little warning. A sensor on the floor alerts your phone the moment water hits it.
6. Put a leak sensor under each sink. Supply lines and drain fittings under sinks are among the most common leak spots. Here's where else to put them.
7. Check your indoor humidity. In cold weather, many homes aim for about 30–40%, lower when it's very cold out. Wet windows in the morning mean it's too high. More here: why windows sweat in winter.
8. Find your main water shutoff. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is and that it actually turns. In a burst pipe, every minute counts.
If you're traveling
- Keep the heat on. Many insurers and utilities suggest no lower than 55°F.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
- Consider shutting off the main water while you're gone.
- Use sensors that alert your phone, and have a neighbor who can get in.
The Leak & Freeze Alert Starter Kit covers the water heater and two sinks, and each sensor also alerts on freezing temperatures.