What February 2021 did to Dallas plumbing
The National Weather Service office in Fort Worth has the numbers. DFW Airport hit minus 2 degrees on February 16, 2021. The high the day before was colder than the old record low for that date. The airport spent 93 hours at or below freezing from February 9 to 13, climbed to 33 degrees for about three hours, and then spent another 139 hours at or below freezing from February 13 to 19. That second stretch ties for 8th longest on record at DFW. Official snowfall was 5 inches.
The power went out at the same time. A University of Houston survey cited by the Texas Comptroller found that 69 percent of Texans lost power at some point between February 14 and 20, about 49 percent had their water service disrupted, and 31 percent had water damage to their homes. For many houses, losing power meant losing heat, and that left the pipes exposed.
Where Dallas pipes freeze first
The Red Cross points to pipes in unheated spaces like crawl spaces, attics and garages, and pipes that run along outside walls with little insulation. Here is how that looks in a Dallas house:
- Crawl spaces under pier and beam houses, where supply lines sit in outside air coming through the foundation vents.
- Attics. Some houses run water lines through the attic, and with the heat off it gets as cold up there as it is outside.
- Garages and north facing walls. Water heaters, washer lines and hose bibs take the brunt of a north wind.
Before the next hard freeze
This list follows the Red Cross guidance on frozen pipes, plus a couple of Dallas specific items.
- Let cold water drip from faucets on exposed pipes when it gets very cold.
- Open the cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks so warm air reaches the plumbing. Move cleaners out of reach of kids first.
- Keep the thermostat at the same setting day and night. If you leave town, keep the heat at 55 degrees or higher.
- Keep the garage door shut if water lines run through the garage.
- On a pier and beam house, cover the crawl space vents during a hard freeze and wrap exposed lines underneath.
- Find your main shutoff valve now, while it's warm out and nothing is leaking.
If a pipe freezes
A faucet that only trickles in freezing weather probably has a frozen line. The Red Cross says to keep that faucet open and warm the frozen section with an electric heating pad, a hair dryer, a space heater kept well away from anything that can burn, or towels soaked in hot water. Never use a torch, a kerosene or propane heater, a charcoal stove or any open flame. If you can't find or reach the frozen spot, call a licensed plumber.
When it bursts
Close the main shutoff. Open the faucets to drain the lines and turn off the water heater. Then check for more. The Red Cross notes that if one pipe freezes, others may freeze too, and a cracked pipe that is still frozen can start leaking as the house warms up. Keep the main off until a plumber has checked the system.
Freeze breaks usually start as clean water, so carpet and pad can often be dried in place if extraction starts fast. Where the break happened matters more. A line that split inside an outside wall or a ceiling soaks insulation and drywall you can't see, so the crew should map the wet area with moisture meters and open only what needs opening. Under a raised floor, water can pool on the dirt and keep the joists damp, so the crawl space has to be dried too, not just the rooms. After that the drying follows the same restoration steps as any clean water leak.
Sources: NWS Fort Worth, February 2021 winter event, Texas Comptroller, Winter Storm Uri 2021, American Red Cross, frozen pipes, TDI, water damage and mold coverage. Checked .
Questions Dallas homeowners ask
Why do pipes burst when they thaw instead of when they freeze?
Water expands as it freezes, and the Red Cross says that puts tremendous pressure on the pipe, metal or plastic. A split pipe can stay plugged with ice, so you often don't see water until it thaws and the flow comes back.
Should I drip my faucets in a Dallas freeze?
The American Red Cross recommends letting cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes when it is very cold, because moving water helps keep a pipe from freezing. It also suggests opening the cabinet doors under sinks and keeping the thermostat at the same temperature day and night.
Is burst pipe damage covered by insurance in Texas?
TDI lists a burst pipe as an example of the sudden and accidental water damage most homeowner policies cover. Read your own policy, though, for any conditions it puts on freeze damage. The insurance claims page has the deadlines your insurer has to meet.