With the cold winter months just around the corner, frigid temperatures can wreak havoc on your home's plumbing system. You want to winterize your home plumbing before the temperature drops and causes more headaches than you want to face or can afford.
You don’t want to find out the hard way how frozen water in pipes can, not only be very inconvenient at the best times, but destructive at worst. In order to avoid winter plumbing problems, here are a few good precautionary steps to follow in order to get ready for the nasty winter months.
Repair Leaks
As any homeowner who has already gone through this problem will tell you, even the smallest water leak can make your life miserable because it can become a big problem when temperatures drop. Spend a bit of time checking all exposed pipes, both inside and outside, for any leaks since waiting for the water to freeze is more damaging to surrounding pipes. Check your insulated pipes for any moisture that might be hiding a leak so that you can remove the padding and repair the leak.
Insulate Pipes
A simple, practical and cautionary measure that is worth doing is making sure that any of your exposed pipes in the house are well insulated. Check your attic, basement, crawl space, and garage. If you discover a pipe that needs some protection, wrap it in insulation foam. Wrapping exposed pipes in insulation is an easy and inexpensive way to prevent burst pipes due to freezing while helping you to save on energy costs.
Pump House
If your home gets its water from a well, you want to take preventative measures to ensure a safe, smooth winter season. It’s imperative that you properly insulate the pump house to protect the pipes from freezing. You can go the extra step for avoiding winter problems by insulating any exposed pipes in the pump house in addition to adding a heat source to keep the temperature in the pump house above freezing.
Exterior Hose Bibs
Now that the garden and lawn watering season has come to an end, it’s important to protect the hose bibs and pipes from the winter cold. You should remove your garden hose to ensure that water doesn’t get a chance to get trapped in the hose bib allowing the water to freeze and damage pipes. It’s also a good idea to drain any water left in your hose before you store it away over the winter months.
Many homes have dedicated shut off valves that can be turned to the closed position for outside hose bibs or faucets. Once the valve is shut off, you can then drain any water that is already in the pipes. If you do not have a shut-off valve, you can protect your home by insulating hose bibs, which are inexpensive and easy to install.
Sprinkler Systems
Many homeowners who have sprinkler systems might use a professional company to start up or shut down their systems. However, if you are going to prepare the system for the upcoming winter yourself, follow this link for detailed steps how to go about doing it properly.
How to winterize a sprinkler system
Main Water Valve
In the event of any water-related emergency, you should locate your main water valve that can be turned off to prevent burst pipes due to freezing. By doing so, you can minimize the damage.
Winter Woes
Winter can be harsh on your plumbing system, but with a few simple steps you can protect your home and family from its damaging effects. Need help getting your plumbing system ready for winter? We can help, contact us today!