You generally only need to let faucets drip during hard or prolonged freezes, especially when pipes are at risk of freezing and bursting.

Quick Scoop

  • Let faucets drip when:
    • Forecasts show temperatures below 32°F (0°C) for several hours, especially overnight.
* Temps are expected to drop near or below about 20°F (around −6°C), even for a few hours, which is where pipe-freeze risk jumps.

* Your power goes out during freezing weather, since your home (and pipes) will cool down faster.
  • You can usually stop dripping when:
    • Daytime and nighttime temperatures are consistently above freezing and no new hard freezes are in the short-term forecast.

How Cold Is “Cold Enough”?

Most home and plumbing pros give rules of thumb rather than an exact number, because insulation, pipe location, and wind all matter.

  • Common guidance:
    • Below 32°F for 4+ hours: consider dripping, especially if you have older, poorly insulated, or exterior-facing pipes.
* Below about 20°F for 3+ hours: strongly recommended to drip at least some faucets, as pipes are more likely to freeze at this point.

* Very cold snaps (near 0°F): increase the drip slightly and be extra cautious, particularly with pipes in crawlspaces, garages, or exterior walls.

Which Faucets To Let Drip

You don’t have to drip every faucet in the house, but you do want water moving through vulnerable sections of your plumbing.

  • Prioritize:
    • Faucets on exterior walls or over unheated spaces (garages, crawlspaces, basements).
* The faucet farthest from your water meter or main shutoff, to pull water through the longest stretch of pipe.

* At least one faucet in each “section” or floor of the house if your home is larger or spread out.
  • Hot vs cold:
    • If you can, let both hot and cold lines drip slightly (use a two-handle faucet or set a single handle in the middle) so both supply lines keep moving.

How Much To Drip (So You Don’t Waste Too Much)

You only need a slow movement of water, not a full stream.

  • Aim for:
    • A slow, steady drip or tiny trickle: roughly 1–2 drops per second, or a pencil-lead–thin stream.
* Keep cabinet doors under sinks open so warm indoor air can reach the pipes and reduce how hard you need to run the water.

When To Stop Letting Faucets Drip

You can shut the faucets off once the freeze risk has passed and pipes are safe again.

  • Good indicators:
    • The forecast shows temps staying above 32°F (0°C) day and night for at least a full day or two.
* Your home has warmed back up after any power outage and you’ve checked for any signs of frozen pipes (no strange noises, no reduced flow, no leaks).

* Local news or utilities are saying the “hard freeze” period is over for your area.

If you live in a warmer region where homes aren’t built for cold, start dripping earlier in a cold snap than someone in a very cold-climate house might, because your pipes are usually less protected.

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