01/22/2026
❄️ Stay Ahead of the Freeze: Essential Winter Prep❄️
With ice and snow in the forecast, our team at Highstreet Insurance Partners wants to ensure your home stays protected. A few minutes of preparation today can prevent a costly claims process tomorrow.
Follow these professional tips to safeguard your plumbing and home before the temperature drops:
🛠 Physical Protection🛠️
• Disconnect & Store: Remove all garden hoses and cover exterior spigots with insulated protectors.
• Open the Flow: Drip your faucets—both cold AND hot sides. This movement helps prevent pressure buildup that leads to bursts.
• Circulate Warmth: Open cabinet doors under sinks located against exterior walls. This allows your home’s heating to reach the pipes.
• Don't Forget the Bathrooms: Periodically flush toilets that sit against exterior walls to keep the water in the supply lines moving.
🚨 The #1 Critical Step: Know Your Shut-Off🚨
If a pipe does freeze and rupture, your reaction time is everything. Locate your main water shut-off valve now.
• Check the Street: Many older homes only have a shut-off near the curb. Ensure it isn't buried under debris or frozen over.
• Check the Interior: Newer homes often have an interior shut-off (usually in a garage, basement, or utility closet).
• The Goal: You should be able to find and turn this valve in total darkness. Don't wait for a 2:00 AM emergency to go looking.
Knowing how to stop the flow of water can dramatically reduce property damage and save your flooring, drywall, and belongings.
Stay warm, stay safe, and remember: A little prep now beats a big mess later!