Preparing Your Home for Nampa Rainy Season & Winter Freezes

Treasure Valley winters bring sub freezing temperatures, snow accumulations, and sudden spring rainstorms that test your home defense against water intrusion. Taking simple preventative measures in late autumn can save you thousands of dollars in unexpected emergency flood repairs.

1. Insulate Crawl Space Plumbing

Inspect your crawl space and wrap all exposed copper and PEX water lines with thick foam pipe insulation. Close foundation vents before the first hard freeze to keep freezing outdoor winds from chilling interior plumbing.

2. Disconnect Outdoor Hoses

Leaving a garden hose connected to an exterior spigot during freezing weather traps water inside the sillcock valve, causing the pipe to burst inside your wall when temperatures drop below 20 degrees.

3. Test Your Sump Pump

Pour a five gallon bucket of water into your crawl space sump pit to verify that the float switch engages and water discharges smoothly away from your home foundation before winter storms hit.