This is the most boring, obvious step, yet everyone forgets it. Find your main water shutoff valve—usually near the water meter or where the main line enters the house. Turn it clockwise until it stops. Then open a downstairs faucet to drain the line.
Remember: water expands when it freezes, but it also expands when it hears you’re about to cut into its home. It will find a way to spray you. Bypass the problem by wearing old clothes and accepting that you will get wet. It’s a rite of passage.
