Food, water, and draining pipes during a long blackout
If your power and heat are out for more than 12 to 24 hours in deep freezing weather, the inside of your house may eventually drop below 32°F (0°C). Taking five minutes to drain the water out of your pipes before you leave or go to sleep can save your home from catastrophic flooding.
If you only do three things
- If indoor temperatures drop below 40°F (4°C) with no heat in sight, shut off your Main Water Valve and open every faucet in the house to drain the pipes empty.
- Pour a cup of RV antifreeze or windshield washer fluid (never automotive engine antifreeze) into toilet bowls and sink drain traps so the standing water doesn't crack the porcelain.
- Do not put refrigerator food directly outside in loose snow where sun and animals can reach it—freeze jugs of water outside and move the ice jugs INTO your indoor refrigerator or cooler.
How to drain your home's plumbing in 5 steps
An empty pipe cannot freeze and burst. If you have to evacuate to a warming center or a friend's house during a winter blackout, do this before walking out the door:
- Turn off the Main Water Shutoff Valve where water enters your home.
- Turn off the circuit breaker (or gas valve) for your Water Heater so the heating element does not burn up without water pressure.
- Open EVERY faucet in the house—both hot and cold handles—starting on the top floor and ending in the basement or lowest sink so air enters at the top and water drains out the bottom.
- Flush every toilet once or twice to empty the tank and bowl as much as possible.
- Leave the faucets in the OPEN position until heat and power are restored.
The smart way to keep refrigerator food cold
A closed refrigerator stays cold for 4 hours, and a full freezer stays frozen for 48 hours. People often put bags of groceries directly outside on the porch in the snow—where daytime sunshine warms the food above 40°F or raccoons, dogs, and birds tear into it.
Do this instead: Fill plastic milk jugs, pots, or zip-top bags (3/4 full) with water and set them outside in the snow overnight until they freeze solid. Then place those blocks of ice inside your kitchen refrigerator and freezer to turn them into giant insulated iceboxes.
Related guides
- What to do when power goes out: Setting up your One Warm Room.
- How to shovel snow and melt ice safely: Next step once the storm stops.