ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida homes are designed to handle extreme heat, intense sunshine, and strong winds from tropical systems, not long stretches of freezing cold.
Most winters, our biggest concerns are protecting pets and plants during the occasional chilly night.
With rare prolonged dangerous cold, exposed pipes could become a real concern when temperatures sit below freezing for more than 4-6 hours.
Sunday morning is shaping up to be the coldest morning that Central Florida has seen in decades. There is now a high chance of a hard freeze for most of the area. An Extreme Cold Watch was issued for parts of the region, excluding Sumter County, from Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon.
[FLORIDA FREEZE GUIDE: Everything you need to know]
As water in the pipes freezes, it expands, putting pressure on the pipe from the inside.
In colder climates, pipes are built deeper underground and heavily insulated. In Central Florida, plumbing is often closer to the surface and not designed for prolonged cold, making even a brief freeze a bigger risk.
Let’s talk about simple precautions you can take ahead of the cold blast to help prevent costly damage.
Cover outdoor faucets and pipes
Wrap the spigot with a towel or cloth, then secure it with plastic or a zip tie to keep moisture out.
Let faucets drip overnight
A slow, steady drip keeps water moving and reduces the chance of freezing.
Open cabinet doors inside the home
If you have plumbing under sinks along exterior walls, open the cabinet doors to allow warmer indoor air to circulate around the pipes.
Know where your main shutoff valve is
If a pipe does burst, turning off the water quickly can limit damage.