Updated: November 2025
There’s no doubt winter takes a toll here in the Fox Cities and Green Bay area. We’ve seen wind chills ranging from -30 to -60, blowing winds, frequent school closures, and slippery roads.
While you’re bundling up, your home’s plumbing system might be fighting its own battle against frozen pipes. Unfortunately, frozen pipes are among the main issues our team at Watters Plumbing deals with throughout the winter.
Frozen pipes aren’t just an inconvenience; they can lead to expensive repairs and significant water damage.
The good news? A little prevention goes a long way. As the temperatures drop, we’ve put together a list to help Wisconsin home and business owners prevent frozen pipes and avoid major winter plumbing issues.
Why Do Pipes Freeze?
When temperatures drop below freezing (32°F), the water inside your pipes can start to freeze, especially in unheated or poorly insulated areas like:
- Basements
- Crawl spaces
- Garages
- Attics
- Exterior walls
- Under your sinks
As the water turns to ice, it expands. That creates pressure and can cause your pipes to crack or burst. Even a small crack can leak hundreds of gallons of water.
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes
The best way to deal with frozen pipes is to stop them from freezing in the first place. By insulating pipes, keeping a steady trickle of water, and maintaining warmth in key areas, you can protect your home from costly damage all winter long.
Keep Doors Open
When you shut doors, warm air cannot circulate as effectively, making the room and pipes colder. By opening the doors throughout your house, particularly into your bathroom and kitchen, the warm air will heat the house and the pipes better.
When temperatures are dangerously low, we also recommend you open the cupboard doors that hide your kitchen and bathroom pipes. This allows the warm air to reach the pipes directly, helping to keep them warm and prevent sink and toilet pipes from freezing.
Insulate Your Pipes
Insulate your pipes for the winter to keep the pipes warm and minimize risk of freezing. air.
You can use foam or even old towels, shirts, and blankets and use duct tape to secure them around the pipes. The extra layer creates a barrier against cold. Foam sleeves and foam tubes are available at most hardware stores in the Fox Valley.
Keep Your Thermostat set at 55 Degrees or Higher
Even when you aren’t home, keep the furnace at 55 degrees or higher to ensure your pipes stay warm while you’re away.
Frozen and burst pipes often happen when families go out of town for holiday celebrations or snowbirds head south for the winter months, turning down the heat before they leave.
We get that costs are high right now, but frozen pipes are not worth saving a few bucks on your heating bill. They may end up costing you thousands in repairs and insurance deductibles. Estimates show that water damage from burst pipes can cost between $5,000-$70,000.
Keep Your Garage Doors Closed
Overall, having your garage door closed as much as possible will help keep your pipes and home warmer.
Keeping your garage doors closed is particularly important if your garage is home to water supply lines. If you have the door open for long periods of time, bitterly cold air will enter the space and directly impact water lines.
Let Faucets Drip
Even just a trickle of water can prevent pipes from freezing when the temperatures get really low.
On the coldest nights, let a small trickle of water run from your faucets. Moving water is less likely to freeze, and the cost of a few extra gallons is far less than a burst pipe repair.
If you plan on being gone for a while, contact a trusted family member, friend, or colleague to go to your house and run water for just a few minutes.
Fox Cities businesses with hybrid or remote employees should also keep this tip in mind for office spaces. If the building sits empty for extended periods, make sure a building manager is running water occasionally.
Detach and Put Away Garden Hoses
If left outside, water inside your garden hose can freeze and damage your faucet and pipe, leading to costly repairs.
We see a lot of Fox Cities homeowners that forget to pick up water hoses in the fall. They then disappear under snow and ice until it’s too late. Make sure you disconnect your garden hose and tighten the faucet to keep the water turned off for the winter.
Inspect Your Water Heater
Hot water running through your pipes consistently helps prevent freezing. The water in your water heater starts extra cold during the winter, so the heater has to work even harder to warm it up. The extra wear and tear can take its toll.
We recommend having an expert, like our team at Watters Plumbing, stop by to ensure your water heater is in top shape before the cold weather sets in or even install a tankless water heater for increased efficiency. The last thing you want is a cold shower on a cold winter morning.
Seal Drafts
Check for cold air leaks around windows, doors, and where pipes enter your home. If you notice gaps, a quick seal with caulk or insulation can stop the cold air from impacting your plumbing.
Sealing up the drafty areas and gaps will also help improve overall comfort, save you money on heating costs, and potentially prevent pests from entering your home. It’s a win-win.
Take Care of Plumbing Issues Before it Gets too Cold
If your pipes are leaking or cracked, or there are other minor plumbing issues in your home, the winter months will almost certainly worsen those problems. You’ll want to take care of any minor issues before the cold temperatures start to set in to prevent them from getting worse.
Give us a call, and we can come and inspect your home for potential plumbing issues and ensure that everything is ready to go for winter.
What to Do If Your Pipes Freeze
Even with preparation, the deep freezes we get here in Wisconsin can still do some damage. If you turn on the tap and only get a trickle or a pipe bursts in your home, here’s what to do:
- Turn off the water supply to prevent pressure buildup or further cracking/bursting.
- Gently warm the frozen section using a hair dryer, space heater, or warm towels if you can find it. This can help thaw things out before cracks or bursts occur
- Call Watters Plumbing if you can’t locate the frozen spot, can’t access it, or a pipe has burst.
Our team of experienced plumbers has the tools to safely thaw pipes, repair damage, and minimize risk for you and your family.
Your Local Experts for Frozen Pipes in Oshkosh, Appleton, and the Fox Cities
At Watters Plumbing, we’ve seen our share of Wisconsin winters and the plumbing problems they bring. From frozen pipe prevention to emergency repairs, our team is ready to help you protect your home and get your water flowing again fast.
- 24/7 emergency service (for premier club members)
- Experienced local plumbers and service technicians
- Honest, upfront pricing
As a leading plumbing company in Menasha, we proudly serve the Fox Cities and Northeast Wisconsin, including:
- Appleton
- Oshkosh
- Green Bay
- Neenah
- Menasha
- Fond du Lac
- And more!
Call or schedule service online today. Let’s keep your pipes (and your peace of mind) safe all season long.
