How to Protect Your Whole House Water Filter From Freezing
I'll start with a confession.
During the big Texas freeze in February 2021, I was out in my yard at 6 a.m. in my house shoes with a flashlight in my teeth, trying to remember where my main water shutoff was. Water treatment is my job. I talk to people about their plumbing every week.
I did find it eventually. It was under a lid in the yard with a fire ant mound on top. The ants were not happy to see me either.
Here's what I learned, so you don't have to learn it the way I did. In a lot of the country, whole-house systems are installed outside on the side of the house, because "it never really freezes here." A tank, prefilter, and pipes full of water on a 20° night turn into a very expensive ice cube.
Your 10-minute winter checklist
(If your system is in a heated basement or garage, skip to #5. You're already ahead of me.)
- Find your shutoff and your bypass valve, and label them. Give the bypass handle a test turn now. A valve that hasn't moved in five years shouldn't get its first workout during an emergency.
- Wrap anything exposed. Foam pipe sleeves from the hardware store go on the exposed pipes, and an insulated cover goes over the tank head and sediment prefilter housing. The fittings and prefilter housing are usually the first things to crack.
- Use heat tape correctly, or don't use it. Thermostat-controlled heat tape on exposed pipe works well if you follow its instructions. Don't point a space heater at your tank.
- On a hard-freeze night, let an indoor faucet drip. Moving water is much slower to freeze. If you'll be away or lose power for a long stretch, shut off the water and drain the lines.
- After a freeze, look before you turn the water back on. Check the housings and fittings for hairline cracks, then bring the water back slowly.
- Bonus: swap your sediment prefilter. Pentair recommends every 6–9 months. If you can't remember the last time you changed it, it's due.
Don't have a whole-house system yet? If you're thinking about getting one, decide where it'll go before the plumber arrives. A garage or utility room beats the side of the house every time. If you're not sure what fits your home, text us and we'll help you figure it out.
Stay warm, and go find your shutoff valve this weekend. Bring a flashlight and watch for ants.
Text or call (512) 815-3501