Resources/Checklists/PM checklist

Fall Winterization and Freeze Watch

Get every freeze-prone spot ready before the first hard freeze, and know when to start freeze-watch rounds. Best practice. Due: before your first fall frost date or Nov 1, whichever comes first.

George Herlth III
FMP · 20-yr maintenance pro · v1.0, Oct 2026
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Walk

Walk

Use your freeze map: every hose bib, exposed pipe, exterior closet, heat trace circuit and riser room, so nothing gets missed.

  1. 1
    Hoses off every hose bib; bibs shut off and drained, or frost-free bibs drainingMark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  2. 2
    Exposed pipe in breezeways, garages, exterior closets: insulation intact, no gaps at fittings or valvesMark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  3. 3
    Heat trace: breaker on, controller or indicator shows powerMark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  4. 4
    Heat trace: whole run visually checked (damage, insulation gaps, tape off the pipe)Mark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  5. 5
    Heat trace: insulation resistance test done (electrician if you have no megohmmeter)Mark: Done / N/A
    Fall
  6. 6
    Heat trace: switched on manually and warm to the touch (N/A if there's no manual switch)Mark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  7. 7
    Sprinkler riser and valve rooms: heater works, ____ °F (40 °F minimum), door closesMark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  8. 8
    Stairwell and vestibule heaters: run, set to 68 °F, guard intact, nothing stored against themMark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  9. 9
    Garage ramp and trash room heaters: run, hold 40 °F minimum, guard intact, clearMark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  10. 10
    Crawlspace vents closed where the building is set to "close for winter"Mark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  11. 11
    Doors: weatherstripping, sweeps and closers close fully (a propped door freezes a vestibule)Mark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  12. 12
    Gutters and roof drains clear before freezeMark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  13. 13
    Vacant units set to 68 °F heat. Down units (fire, flood, renovation) set to 55 °FMark: OK / Action / N/A
    Fall
  14. 14
    Any down unit that can't hold heat: water shut off at a valve upstream, outside the cold space, and drained from there. Valve location recordedMark: OK / Action / N/A
    As needed
  15. 15
    Freeze-watch plan reviewed with the team; on-call setMark: Done
    Fall
Freeze watch

Start a freeze watch when the forecast shows:

  • a low of 32 °F or below with gusts of 15 mph or more, OR
  • a low of 19 °F or below in any wind.

Use the forecast low and gust speed, not the wind chill number. Wind drives cold air into gaps, breezeways and exterior closets.

During a freeze watch: walk the freeze map every 12 hours. After it ends, walk again for leaks; most show up as pipes thaw.

If Action

What to do

  • Insulation missing or wet, a bib that won't drain, a heater that won't run: fix it before the next freeze forecast.
  • Riser or valve room below 40 °F: restore heat now and tell your sprinkler vendor.

Call a licensed vendor when

  • A frozen sprinkler pipe: never thaw it with a flame. Call the sprinkler vendor; the system may be impaired and need a fire watch under your local fire code.

Note: Draining lines in a cold unit isn't freeze protection on its own, because water still stands up to the unit shutoff inside the cold space. Heat the unit, or shut off and drain from upstream.

FixGrid standard practice. Your local codes and your equipment manufacturer's instructions come first.

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