Getting your pipes ready for a Chicago winter

Before the first hard freeze

1. Disconnect hoses; close the interior shutoff to each outdoor faucet and drain it.
2. Insulate pipes in unheated spaces: crawlspaces, garages, enclosed porches, rim joists.
3. Seal drafts near pipes — basement windows, rim joists, utility penetrations.
4. Find and test your main shutoff and label it.
5. Check the sump discharge outlet so it won’t freeze shut.
6. In multi-unit buildings, tell tenants where shutoffs are and how to report problems.

During extreme cold

• Keep the heat on, including in vacant units.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls.
• Consider letting a faucet on an exposed line trickle, following your water utility’s guidance.

Where Chicago pipes freeze

Inside homes the usual spots are kitchens on exterior walls, enclosed back porches on two- and three-flats, attic and dormer bathrooms in bungalows, and crawlspaces in suburban homes.

Vacant units and travel

Keep heat on at a safe minimum, have someone check the property during cold snaps, and consider shutting off and draining the water if the property will be empty for a long time.