If you are living an area where the temperature goes below zero degree Celsius inside the home, then beware, there are high chances of pipe freezing and bursting because when water freezes, it expands up to 9% and if there is no sufficient place for expansion, the pipe will naturally burst.
When the pipe starts defrosting, it will leak and the leak can be anywhere through out the supply system. This can be very damaging, even more than a burst pipe and can cost a lot of money.
To save your home plumbing system from freezing during winters, it is advisable to get your home properly insulated. It is also important that you home should be built according to the current building codes, then under normal conditions(i.e. the heating system runs properly, the electricity supply stays on, and the furnace fuel supply never runs out.), you will never face this problem.
If yours is an old house, and if you think there is an insulation problem you can get it done during the remodeling. You can get the wall cavities insulated properly now, you can add foam insulation to the inner side of the studs or to the outer walls for extra protection.
More insulation can be added to the attic, if there is access. These are worthwhile improvements because they also reduce the home’s heat loss and therefore reduce the amount of energy needed to heat (and cool) the home.
Making many changes in the home can cost a lot of money. So, a less expensive solution to this problem is to apply electric heat tape around the pipe. It is controlled thermostatically so becomes active automatically when the temperature is very low.
Another way to prevent the pipes from freezing and bursting is to leave the taps in your house in dripping mode. It will make sure that the water in the pipes is in flowing condition and thus will check the water in the pipes from freezing.
The usual advice is to let the faucet run with a stream of water about the same diameter as a pencil. If a house has hot and cold water lines that are vulnerable to freezing, then the stream needs to be warm water. This is a waste of energy, but sometimes that’s the only solution available.