Homeowners have a lot to worry about when it comes to winter’s extreme temps and pipes freezing. Pipes can burst from the pressure of the frozen water trapped inside of them. A burst pipe can cause more than $5,000 in water damage to your home! But by taking a few preventative measures, you can help minimize the likelihood of this repair bill in bitter cold weather.
How Can You Avoid The Hassle Of Frozen Pipes?
- Insulate all water pipes - cold water and hot water. Pay special attention to those vulnerable to freezing - basement, crawl spaces, garages, etc.
- Try to eliminate all drafts in your home.
- Don’t turn the heat down **too much** when you’re out of the house. By all means, turn down the thermostat, but don’t leave the heat off entirely or set it to not run when you’re not home.
- Let faucets drip during serious cold snaps to provide some relief to the plumbing system.
- Keep indoor doors open. More airflow - specifically warmer airflow - to those parts of the house that may not always have people in them or walking through them can help keep the pipes warmer throughout the house.
Does Anything Need To Be Done To Outdoor Plumbing Like Spigots & Hoses?
- Disconnect hoses from spigots. If the temperature falls below freezing, the connected hose could potentially freeze, expand, and even cause connected indoor pipes to burst.
- If possible, shut off the water valves for any outdoor spigots or water features. Attempt to drain water from your outdoor water lines.
- As you perform these items, check for any drips or leaks. It will be much cheaper to make repairs to small drips or leaks instead of letting them go through the winter.
- Cover outdoor spigots with a Styrofoam or insulated cover. These can be found at home improvement stores.
- Insulate pipes in unheated areas of the home, such as crawlspaces or garages. Use heat tape around pipes that have a tendency to freeze.
What Else In Your Home Needs To Be Checked?
If you have a whole-home humidifier as part of your HVAC system, be sure to double-check that also for maximum efficiency. Another good thing to check on would be our 22-Point Furnace Inspection to prepare for the winter.
The most important tip we can offer for winter maintenance on your plumbing? Don’t procrastinate! Waiting even just until freezing temps hit can cause damage to your pipes and plumbing system, which can make repairs much more expensive.
Don’t Want To Take On This Whole Checklist Yourself?
Have you checked out our Plumbing Plan? It can help cover repairs on your faucets, shut-offs, water pipes, toilets, water taps, gas pipes, and clogged drains inside of your home.
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It is important to keep your house safe during the winter time. At ServiceOne, we offer services from home warranties to HVAC to electrical to geothermal. For over 25 years, we have taken pride in helping our customers get the best service as possible. If you find a problem with your plumbing at all, call us for troubleshooting.