Exterior crawlspace/foundation venting.

[PokeyPrasch]

So I'm a first time home owner, this will be my first winter being responsible my own property.
I'm concerned about pipes freezing and general cold drafts because of the vents around the foundation/crawlspace area of the house especially with the current wind chill advisories for SE WA. I live in Moxee, near Yakima.

I've been looking and I'm having trouble finding what people do in Washington, there are differing opinions online but most don't take into account what kind of climate the house is located in.

The house is fairly new, (2005) and there is insulation right under the floor.

Do I block these vents or leave them open?

[BentRod]

Wind chill does not effect pipes, just the overall temp. There should be plenty of articles on the internet that address protecting the pipes in your house, but you can also ask the guys in the plumbing dept. at Home Depot and they can probably advise you as well.
As a home owner, I would not recommend sealing your foundation vents, they're important for keeping the moisture out from under your house.
On the outside of your house, make sure you cover any faucets with insulated covers and wrap any exposed pipes with pipe insulation. If there is exposed piping that is either outside the home or (under the house) that runs along an exterior wall, then either insulate it with foam or, depending on the exposure, invest in some heat tape that will keep the pipe warm during subfreezing weather. For example, the water inlet pipe to my home is in the garage along the outer wall. The garage is not insulated, so this pipe will freeze up in the winter is there is not enough retained heat in the garage to keep it from freezing. I've wrapped it with the heat tape (electrical outlet required) and it keeps it from freezing in the winter. Although the pipes under your home should be fine unless you don't heat the inside of your home some suspect pipes are water pipes that run to sinks/showers/toilets along the exterior wall. For example, we have two bathroom sinks and the kitchen sink that are adjacent to exterior walls. The pipes that feed them run up the inside of the wall which is an exterior wall of the house. These pipes can be subject to freezing. To combat, we keep the cabinets below these sinks open overnight or when away to allow the heat from the home into the cabinet space, which does the trick. Another trick is to keep the water moving as moving water will not freeze as readily. By letting the faucets drip in your home overnight or while away, that ice will have a harder time forming in the pipes.
Good luck.

[hewesbob]

I live on a hill above Spokane, it is +7 with about a 15mph wind right now. We just leave a little cold water trickle when ever temps drop below 10-12 degrees. Wind chill only effects something with blood so don't forget the pets. As far as the vents it is very important that they stay open and circulate the foundation area. During high winds coming from the south I have one vent that allows so much air flow so I just lean a piece of plywood on an angle from the side of the house to the ground. This allows air passage but restricts the wind. One thing to look for is that your vents are attached to the house and have good screen material blocking small critters out because they will also be trying to keep warm

[PokeyPrasch]

Thanks for the replies, I will leave it open. My concern with the wind chill wasn't so much the wind chill itself but the cold snaps they cause. My vents all have a metal screen on them. All the exposed pipes below are wrapped in heat tape I just wasn't sure if that was enough. My exterior faucets are covered with those plastic covers that have the styrofoam inside.

Thanks again.