Top 5 Tips To Winterize Your Houston Home.

Protect the 5P’s: People, Pets, Plants, Pipes & Pools

Winter is coming! Protect your home and loved ones by remembering the Top 5P's.

In case of unexpected emergencies, please let us know how we can help. We have a list of vendors ready should you need them!

People

Plan to bundle up— have blankets and warm clothing on hand to stay comfortable. These low temperatures are no joke for us Houstonians!
Check on your friends and neighbors, especially those who are out of town.
If you’re planning on driving, make sure you charge your phones, have a full tank of gas, warm clothes, and plenty of blankets in case of emergencies.
If you’re traveling, make arrangements with your neighbors to check on your home and ensure they have a way to contact you.
Make sure your emergency contact has access to your home, if necessary.

Keep your pets warm and dry.
Bring them inside! They’re used to Houston weather, not arctic blasts.
Stock up on easily stored food and medication your four-legged friends may need in case of emergencies.

Add mulch around your plants to help keep them warm and insulated.
Water your plants as needed, but don’t oversaturate!
Cover exposed plants, especially those that are more fragile.
Bring potted plants inside the house or garage for added protection from the cold.

Locate your water shut-off valve and learn how to use it in case of an emergency.
Drain your sprinkler system to prevent it from freezing and bursting. Here's one of the best step-by-step videos we've seen on how to do it!

Insulate exposed pipes outside as well as those in unheated areas.
Disconnect garden hoses from the taps and store them away to prevent freezing.
Open the cupboards under inside sinks to allow warm air to circulate in that area.
We're normally told to drip our faucets. If you live in the City of Houston, public works officials are requesting citizens to do otherwise.
If you’re traveling, consider shutting off the water to your home. While the forecasters predict only 20-48 hours of freeze time, if you aren’t home and have a pipe burst, the damage could be more extensive.
If you need to shut off the water to your home, be sure to consult with a plumber about the proper way to handle your water heater to prevent any damage or issues.

Have a pool and are concerned about freezing temperatures? Here are some recommendations from our friends at Nabors Pools:

If you have automation such as Pentair Easytouch, Hayward OmniLogic, or Jandy Aqualink, your pool should have freeze protection already built into the system. As long as your equipment is properly set up with functional censors and you have electricity, you don't need to take any action!
If you have timers and a variable speed pump with a display or control panel (located at the back of the pump), you should also have freeze protection (if enabled) and will not need to take any action.
If you have timers and a single-speed pump without wi-fi control, app, remote, panel, or alternative control mechanisms, adjust the pump to run continuously during freezing temperatures to avoid damage.
Remember: The water temperature is more important than the air temperature. If your water temperature is well above freezing, you don't need to take any action, When in doubt, keep the water moving, circulating, and pumps running, and you will not encounter an issue.
In the event that we lose electricity, please turn off all breakers and drain the equipment if it's safe and you're comfortable doing so. For this unlikely scenario, here is a video to walk you through this process.

This is only necessary in the case of extended hard freeze conditions - just going below freezing for a few hours won't damage your equipment.