You generally only need to drip faucets in freezing weather to help prevent pipes from freezing and bursting. The exact point depends on how cold it gets, how long it stays that cold, and how exposed your plumbing is.
Key temperature guidelines
Many plumbing and home-service experts suggest dripping indoor faucets when:
- Forecast lows are around 20°F (about -6.6°C) or below for several hours, especially overnight.
- Temperatures are below 32°F (0°C) for several hours and you have older, uninsulated, or exterior-wall pipes.
If your power goes out during freezing weather (so your home can’t stay warm), dripping faucets becomes more important even if the temperature is just below freezing.
Which faucets to drip
Focus on faucets served by pipes that are most likely to freeze.
- Drip at least one faucet in each vulnerable area (for example, kitchen sink on an exterior wall, bathrooms over unheated spaces, or lines running through attics, crawl spaces, garages, or basements).
- If possible, let both hot and cold lines drip by opening both handles slightly or setting a single-handle faucet to the middle so warm and cold water both move.
How much and how long to drip
A small, steady drip or very slight trickle is enough—roughly one drop every few seconds, not a full stream.
Keep those faucets dripping as long as:
- Outside temperatures stay at or below about 20°F, or
- Conditions are below freezing and your pipes are uninsulated or your power/heat is out.
You can stop dripping once the forecast shows daytime and nighttime temperatures consistently above freezing and your pipes show no signs of freezing.
