Freeze preparation checklist for commercial property
What to do at a commercial or apartment building before a hard freeze, written for places that rarely freeze as well as cold ones.
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Before the cold season
Steady building heat is the main defense against frozen pipes.
Cold air that gets into wall cavities can reach the pipes.
In warm regions, pipes are more often run outside the insulation, which leaves them exposed in a cold snap.
Cable without a thermostat has to be plugged in each time and can be forgotten.
Water left in outdoor lines can freeze and split them; add an inside shutoff valve where there is none.
Water left in irrigation lines can freeze and burst them.
A valve may be rusted open or not close all the way, and you need it fast when a pipe bursts.
An alert gives warning before pipes freeze or a leak spreads.
Backup power keeps the building warm when the power fails in the cold.
Fire sprinkler systems
IBHS says to keep building heat above 40°F, and NFPA codes use 40°F as the threshold for adequate heat.4,3,5
A frozen valve or fire pump room can put the whole sprinkler system out of action.
Condensation collects at the low points of a dry pipe system and can freeze there.
IBHS says annual solution testing is required, and a weak solution may let the system burst.3
These spaces run colder than the rest of the building; a thermometer there shows it.
Days before the freeze
The National Weather Service issues a freeze warning when temperatures are forecast below 32°F for a long period.6
Extreme cold can overwhelm normal heat, and setback programs lower temperatures when the building needs heat most.
Any gap lets cold air into the building.
IBHS says vacant property has greater exposure to burst pipes; it sets 55°F and monitoring so it never drops below 40°F.3
A burst pipe soaks whatever sits under it.
Moving water is slower to freeze, and an open cabinet lets room heat reach the pipes; follow any local limits on water use.
When pipes burst you need help fast, along with a way to reach staff.
During the freeze
Daily rounds catch failed heaters, gaps in insulation and cold spots before a pipe bursts.
This keeps the broken pipe from leaking into the building when it thaws.
Generator exhaust carries carbon monoxide, which is colorless and odorless and can kill.7
When it thaws
Cracked pipes or fittings leak as they thaw; reopen the valve slowly with someone watching for leaks.
An insurer may deny a claim if the property is not protected from further damage.
Photos and video show the damage before cleanup; keep damaged items until the adjuster says they can go.
General guidance, not legal advice. Follow local officials during a freeze.
Hard freezes and burst pipes
A hard freeze is 28°F or lower for an extended period.1
Burst pipes cause much of the property damage from winter weather. A pipe usually bursts where little or no ice has formed, from pressure that builds between the ice blockage and a closed valve or faucet.
In Texas, a March 9, 2021 TDI bulletin noted that property policies may include provisions that loss caused by freezing is covered if the policyholder took reasonable care to maintain heat or shut off the water supply and drain the pipes, and that whether a policyholder took reasonable actions depends on the circumstances of each claim.2
Questions
- What temperature should a commercial building be kept at to prevent frozen pipes?
- IBHS says to keep building heat above 40°F, and a risk engineering guide calls for at least 40°F in every room with wet sprinkler pipe; NFPA codes use 40°F as the threshold for adequate building heat. For vacant property, IBHS sets 55°F with monitoring so it never drops below 40°F.3,4,5
- Should apartment residents drip faucets in a freeze?
- Yes. Letting hot and cold taps drip keeps water moving and relieves pressure if a pipe does freeze. Ask residents to follow any local limits on water use.
- What should I do if a sprinkler pipe freezes?
- Close the main valve before thawing the system, then open it slowly with spotters watching for leaks, and shut it down at once if leaks appear.
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Sources
Checks are kept in this browser only and sent nowhere. Each item is from the published sources below.
- 1. National Weather Service: Glossary: Hard Freeze
- 2. Texas Department of Insurance: Commissioner's Bulletin B-0010-21: Severe winter weather, adjusting claims for losses caused by freezing (March 9, 2021)
- 3. Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety: Commercial Risk Engineering Bulletin: Winter Weather (November 2019)
- 4. Chubb Risk Engineering Services: To The Point: Cold Weather Preparedness
- 5. Zurich Risk Engineering: Management practices: Cold weather freeze-ups (January 2013)
- 6. National Weather Service: Understanding Cold Weather Alerts
- 7. Ready.gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency: Winter Weather