How to Keep Pipes From Freezing in Seminole, OK

How cold does Seminole get, and which pipes freeze first?

Seminole's January nights average about 26 °F, and the USDA's 2023 map puts ZIP code 74868 in hardiness zone 7b, where the coldest night in a typical year falls between 5 and 10 °F. Those are averages, so an individual winter can run colder, and one hard night is enough to split a pipe.

• 26 °FAverage January low, NOAA 1991–2020
• Zone 7bUSDA 2023 map: coldest night usually 5 to 10 °F
• 4.4 inAverage yearly snowfall in Seminole

The pipes that freeze first are the ones outside the heated part of the house: supply lines in exterior walls, pipes in a crawl space or under the floor, outdoor hose bibs, and lines in an attic or an unheated garage. A sink cabinet on an exterior wall is the classic indoor weak spot, because the cabinet door keeps house heat away from the pipes behind it.

Many Seminole buildings date to the late-1920s oil boom, which the Seminole plumbing page covers. Pipe routed through an exterior wall in a building that old may have little insulation around it, so those walls deserve the first look before a freeze.

What should you do before a hard freeze in Seminole?

Do five things the afternoon before a hard freeze: find and test the main shutoff, disconnect the hoses, open the cabinet doors on exterior walls, let one faucet drip, and leave the heat on. None needs a tool beyond a wrench.

1. Find the main shutoff and turn it once. Most homes have it where the water line enters the house, or in the meter box near the street. A valve that has never been turned can be stuck, and you want to learn that on a calm day.
2. Disconnect and drain garden hoses. A hose left on an outdoor spigot holds water against the faucet, and the freeze can split the spigot or the pipe behind it.
3. Open the cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls, so room air reaches the pipes.
4. Let one faucet drip, a thin steady stream rather than a trickle, on an exterior wall or the far end of the house. Moving water is harder to freeze.
5. Keep the thermostat on at the setting you normally use, even if you are away for a few days.

For a longer-term fix, foam sleeves on exposed pipe in a crawl space or garage cost little and slow a freeze. A water heater in an unheated garage or utility space is worth a look too; see water heater repair and installation if yours is leaking or running cold after a freeze.

What do you do first when a pipe freezes or bursts?

Close the main shutoff valve first. That stops the water, which is what does the damage, and it gives you time to find the problem. Then open a faucet to drain the line and call a plumber.

1. Close the main shutoff valve if water is flowing anywhere it should not be.
2. Open a faucet at the lowest point in the house to let the line drain.
3. If a faucet runs dry, thaw the pipe slowly. A hair dryer or warm towels on the pipe work. Never use an open flame, which can start a fire or damage the pipe.
4. Call a plumber at (405) 257-3096, and describe where the pipe is and whether water is still running.

What the repair costs depends on where the pipe is and what it needs, which the guide to plumbing repair cost in Seminole walks through.

How can you tell if a freeze damaged a pipe you cannot see?

Check three things after the thaw: the water meter with every fixture off, the walls and ceilings under the coldest pipes, and the water bill. A split pipe often does not leak until the ice melts, so the damage can show a day or more after the freeze ends.

If the meter dial moves with everything off, or a ceiling stain appears under a bathroom or an exterior wall, a pipe is leaking. Finding which pipe, without opening every wall, is what leak detection and repair is for. Ledco Plumbing works from its office at 316 E Oak Ave in Seminole and takes calls Monday through Sunday, 7 AM to 5 PM.