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Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but the actual temperature that can cause frozen pipes can vary. Generally, it takes 12 hours for pipes to freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Uninsulated pipes can freeze if it’s 20 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for over three hours. If your pipes are insulated, it can take six hours or longer for pipes to freeze. Note that some pipe types freeze more often than PEX pipes. Copper pipes freeze more often because the copper conducts energy and loses heat quickly.

The Thanksgiving holiday period is one of the busiest times of the year for plumbers. Both Thanksgiving Day and the day after, often called Black Friday or "Brown Friday" by plumbing professionals, see a significant increase in service requests. This is because a house full of guests, large holiday meals, and unfamiliarity with the home's plumbing can lead to clogged drains, garbage disposal issues, and sewer line backups. Outside of the holidays, the busiest weekdays for plumbers are typically Monday and Tuesday, as many people discover plumbing problems over the weekend but wait to call for service. Despite the holiday, you can rest assured that many plumbers work on Thanksgiving and Black Friday to handle the surge in emergency calls.

While polybutylene pipes are usually light gray, if you see gray pipes in your home that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re polybutylene. PVC pipes can also come in gray. Check for a “PB2110” stamp, slight flexibility, or a ½-inch to 1-inch diameter, which are also signs of polybutylene.

It can be helpful to open one or two faucets before turning on the water main again. Turning off the main shut-off valve will introduce some air into your pipes. Having at least one faucet open should allow the air to clear as the water refills the pipes. Try to open faucets far from the main shut-off valve and on the highest floor of the house.