Just a quick footnote , for future reference when cold weather is expected and freeze issues become an issue , always allow a small flow from the longest run of hot water piping , a trickle is all that is required . This will usually also protect the cold water system since it will ensure adequate flow through the cold make up water feed to the hot water tank to the hot water runs also , even during a overnite power outage .
i hear ya B - and i have gotten thru cold temps dripping... usually the cold side. and i am sure such advice would get many by. but i am living here, seeing the daily news
and the almost-non stop coverage of ruined homes. water damage, broken pipes. and the advice of local plumbing experts. such as turn water service OFF at house and open pipes to allow some line pressure reduction once pipes (those that will) drain down. dripping the lines has been suggested, but most
experts or advice givers tend to shy from that advice as the water dept does not like that,

lowers water pressure, etc if/n/when 4 million faucets dripping! lol what is a bit amazing in this freeze is many did turn off service, but when back on they had leaks. lines out of top of home, cold, that dropped thru walls etc and went outside. one economically challenged neighborhood with homes from the 30's etc and old pipes... many, many homes ruined! and as one guy interviewed said... ' no help for us!' so many down here in my county and surrounding... none of the supply houses, etc had supplies. scaveneged by DIY wannaB's and plumbers! lines of over 350 at big box centers day after day says it all... i remember one family interviewed, "... we left water dripping, but we had no elec for 7 days for our elec water heater." too many structures down here just not capable of handling the temps we experienced with this arctic freeze... individual homes to entire electrical generating plants. i see it, i hear it... it's on tv here... day in and day out...
daily!
