There’s a special kind of quiet that hits a Montana house in January. The kind where even the floorboards seem to whisper, “You sure you want to live here?”
That was the night I learned that freezing pipes aren’t just a plumbing issue. They’re a life lesson with PVC fittings.
I was in the kitchen, sipping coffee that had gone cold thirty minutes earlier because time is a loose suggestion in winter. Then I turned on the faucet. Nothing. Not even a polite gurgle. Just silence. The kind that makes you rethink all your decisions leading up to this moment.
I stood there, staring at the faucet like it owed me money.
“Alright,” I said out loud, mostly to myself but also to the universe, “what now?”
I opened the cabinet doors beneath the sink like I was uncovering the plot twist in a mystery novel. The pipes were cold enough to make a snowman feel insecure.
You could almost hear them saying, “Yeah, buddy… you forgot about us.
A Slow Realization… Literally
I remembered the things you’re supposed to do.
Let a faucet drip.
Insulate the pipes.
Keep the house warm enough that your houseplants don’t file a complaint.
You know—the simple stuff you promise you’ll do next time and never do.
So I grabbed a hair dryer, because nothing says “rugged Montana homeowner” like standing in your kitchen thawing plumbing with the same tool your wife uses to get ready for church.
I crouched down, warming the pipes like I was comforting a scared puppy.
And slowly… drip.
Then another.
And suddenly the sound of running water felt like a choir of angels singing over a Lowe’s commercial.
Crisis averted.
What I Learned (Besides the Obvious)
Here’s the thing: freezing pipes always come down to small stuff you ignored. A crack in the foundation here. A cold basement corner there. A draft that seemed harmless until it wasn’t.
Life works the same way.
Most “big problems” start quietly.
Usually in a place we didn’t bother to check.
So now, every time winter rolls around, I do the preventative things early.
I drip the faucet.
I insulate the pipes.
I seal the draft by the garage that I swore wasn’t a draft last year.
And I keep the house warm enough that even the pipes feel appreciated.
If You Want to Avoid Your Own Midnight Plumbing Crisis…
- Do the small things now:
- Crack a faucet open so the water keeps moving.
- Open cabinets so warm air can reach the pipes.
- Insulate the spots you only think about when something goes wrong.
- Keep the thermostat steady, even when you’re gone.
And if something freezes, thaw it slow. No flames. No heroics. Just patience and a hair dryer.
Because frozen pipes aren’t just about ice. They’re about the quiet corners of your house…and your life that can’t be ignored forever.
And that’s the night my kitchen sink tried to teach me wisdom.
Christopher Van Note: 1
Winter: 0
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