Use tools or have a professional licensed plumber repair any leaking pipes or pipe joints before wrapping them.
Plastic pipes should only be wrapped with automatic heat tape. This kind of tape is insulated with heavy rubber around its wires.
Consult your pipe manufacturer’s guidelines to help you decide how much insulation you will need.
Heat tape has a plug at 1 end to heat a pipe electrically. From the plug end, run the tape straight down the length of the pipe if directed to by the manufacturer. You may need to wrap heat tape in a spiral or corkscrew fashion around a pipe instead. Wrap areas of pipe that go below ground with heat tape until you reach the frost line. Secure the heat tape to the pipe with bands of electrical tape wrapped around the pipe’s diameter. Space the bands of electrical tape according to the heat tape manufacturer’s directions.
Look for a GFCI outlet under your home, near where your water supply comes in.
Towels soaked in hot water can also be used to wrap frozen pipes in. Heat the water for the towels in a pot or other suitable container on the stove.
