Before you start
Take a notepad and walk to every place water is used: sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, the washer, the water heater, the refrigerator line, outdoor faucets and the irrigation connection. For each one, answer the four questions in the scoring table. You do not need to open walls; the goal is to spot patterns, such as three fixtures all on the same cold wall.
Most Parker houses end up with a short list: a bath or laundry over the garage, a kitchen sink under a window, a hose bib on the windward side, and sometimes a basement soffit along the rim joist. Knowing that list is more useful than generic advice to insulate everything.
Scoring each location
| Question | Yes means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Is the plumbing on or in an exterior wall? | Cold can reach it through the wall | Kitchen sink under a window |
| Is the space below or beside it unheated? | Garage, crawl space, cantilever or attic is adjacent | Bathroom floor over a three-car garage |
| Has it frozen, run slowly or leaked before? | There is a known weak point | Faucet that trickles on cold mornings |
| Would a leak here reach finished space quickly? | Damage would spread before anyone noticed | Second-floor laundry over a living room |
| Is the shutoff for this fixture hard to reach? | Stopping a leak takes longer | Valves behind a built-in washer or a stuck vanity valve |
Turning scores into action
- IfA location scores four or fiveThenPlan a permanent fix before winter: rerouting, insulation on the cold side, sealing air leaks, or heat cable where appropriate.
- IfA location scores two or threeThenAdd it to the cold-night plan: open cabinets, drip the faucet, keep adjoining doors closed or open as appropriate.
- IfA location scores one or zeroThenNo special steps beyond normal maintenance of supply lines and valves.
- IfSeveral high scores share one wall or one ceilingThenAsk a plumber whether one reroute or one area of insulation could fix all of them at once.
Spots people often forget to score
- The wet bar or kitchenette in a walkout basement.
- The refrigerator water line where it passes through a floor or cabinet near an outside wall.
- A utility sink in the garage.
- Plumbing to a sunroom or three-season room addition.
- Fire sprinkler piping, if the house has a residential system.
- A water softener or filter located in the garage.
General information for Parker, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.