Winterizing Pipes in Big Bear & the High Desert

Unlike the valley floor, Big Bear and the high desert get real freezes. Here's how to keep your pipes from bursting this winter.

For most of the Inland Empire, freezing pipes are a non-issue. But if you own a home or cabin in Big Bear, the mountains, or the high desert — Hesperia, Victorville, Apple Valley, Yucca Valley — winter is genuinely cold, and frozen pipes are a real risk. A pipe that freezes can burst, and a burst in a vacant vacation cabin can flood undetected for days. Here's how to protect your property.

Why pipes burst when they freeze

When water freezes it expands, and inside a closed pipe that expansion creates enormous pressure. The pipe often doesn't split at the frozen spot itself but downstream, where the pressure has nowhere to go. That's why simply thawing a frozen pipe isn't the end of the story — the damage may already be done. Prevention is far cheaper than repair.

For occupied homes

• Insulate exposed pipes — attic, crawlspace, garage, and exterior runs — with pipe insulation sleeves
• Insulate or cover outdoor hose bibs and disconnect garden hoses
• On the coldest nights, let a faucet drip slightly — moving water resists freezing
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls to let warm air reach the pipes
• Keep the home heated to at least 55°F, even in rooms you don't use
• Know where your main shutoff is and make sure it turns freely

For vacation homes and cabins

This is where Big Bear owners get caught. A cabin left unheated through a cold snap can freeze, burst, and flood for days before anyone knows. If you'll be away during winter, you have two good options: keep the heat set no lower than 55°F while you're gone, or fully winterize the home — shutting off the water at the main, draining the pipes and water heater, and adding antifreeze to drain traps. Full winterization is the safest choice for a cabin that will sit empty for weeks.

If a pipe freezes anyway

If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out on a cold morning, a pipe is likely frozen. Shut off the main water valve as a precaution (in case the pipe has already cracked), open the faucet, and warm the frozen section gently with a hair dryer or space heater — never an open flame. Work from the faucet end toward the frozen area. If you can't locate or safely thaw it, or if you suspect it's already burst, call for help before you turn the water back on.

Get ahead of it with a professional check

A pre-winter plumbing check for a mountain or high-desert home identifies the vulnerable runs, gets them insulated, and — for vacation properties — sets up a proper winterization. It's a small, scheduled cost that prevents the far larger cost and hassle of a mid-winter burst. If you're heading into the season with an untested cabin, it's worth the visit.

Written by the licensed team at Riverside Plumbing Pros. Call (831) 290-4327 for help with any of the issues below.