Tips to prevent frozen water pipes
Leave the heat on! When not using sections of the home, leave doors open and the heat on low ( recommend not lower then 50 degrees.)
Repair all drafts, seal all air leaks. Even the smallest draft is enough to freeze pipes.
Insulate pipes in crawl spaces and unheated basements.
Leave cabinet doors open to get heat to pipes.
Let the faucets trickle a bit of water out ( the cost of wasted water is a small comparison to the cost of the damage that frozen and broken pipes can be.)
Know where your emergency shut off is for your water supply.
Thawing frozen water pipes
Thaw pipes as soon as possible, or call a plumber for help.
Turn the heat up in area, small electric space heaters work well for this.
Know where the water shut off is in case when the pipes thaw, they break and you have a flood.
Keep checking area for any signs of water leaking or flooding.
A hair dryer around the frozen area is appropriate to thaw pipes, using a blow torch is not safe to use!