Winterize Your Home’s Plumbing Before It’s Too Late
Winter can be a problematic time for homeowners. You run the risk of having pipes in your home that freeze, causing the water inside to expand and the pipe to burst. Not only do you have a plumbing repair that needs to be done as a result, but you will have water damage in your home. The same thing can happen outside of your home as well when you don’t take preventative steps before winter comes. Thankfully, winterizing your home’s plumbing is easy to do by following these tips.
Inside Winterizing Tips
Start by insulating all of the exposed water pipes in your home, paying attention to those that are installed near your outside walls or windows. Your local home improvement store will sell …show more content…
On really cold days or when you are away from your home on vacation, leave the cabinet doors to the under sink area open. This will help circulate the warm air in the space, keeping the pipes warm. You should also leave your heat on instead of turning it off. The temperature in your home may not drop below freezing, but it could fall dangerously low in the walls and crawl spaces.
On particularly cold days, leave your faucets on so that they slightly drip water from them. This causes the water in the pipes to move, which prevents freezing since the water is not standing. This may seem wasteful, but you could be saving money in the form of an expensive plumbing repair.
Outside Winterizing Tips
Disconnect any hoses that are attached to outside faucets, and drain the hoses of any water. Store the hose in a place that is warm and dry, like a basement, where the cold weather won’t cause the hose to freeze and crack.
For homes with an outdoor sprinkler system, have the lines cleared of any water in the system. You can hire a plumber to blast air through these pipes to clear out any water that would be in them.
If you do have a pipe that bursts, you’ll need to contact a plumber to have it
Winter can be a problematic time for homeowners. You run the risk of having pipes in your home that freeze, causing the water inside to expand and the pipe to burst. Not only do you have a plumbing repair that needs to be done as a result, but you will have water damage in your home. The same thing can happen outside of your home as well when you don’t take preventative steps before winter comes. Thankfully, winterizing your home’s plumbing is easy to do by following these tips.
Inside Winterizing Tips
Start by insulating all of the exposed water pipes in your home, paying attention to those that are installed near your outside walls or windows. Your local home improvement store will sell …show more content…
On really cold days or when you are away from your home on vacation, leave the cabinet doors to the under sink area open. This will help circulate the warm air in the space, keeping the pipes warm. You should also leave your heat on instead of turning it off. The temperature in your home may not drop below freezing, but it could fall dangerously low in the walls and crawl spaces.
On particularly cold days, leave your faucets on so that they slightly drip water from them. This causes the water in the pipes to move, which prevents freezing since the water is not standing. This may seem wasteful, but you could be saving money in the form of an expensive plumbing repair.
Outside Winterizing Tips
Disconnect any hoses that are attached to outside faucets, and drain the hoses of any water. Store the hose in a place that is warm and dry, like a basement, where the cold weather won’t cause the hose to freeze and crack.
For homes with an outdoor sprinkler system, have the lines cleared of any water in the system. You can hire a plumber to blast air through these pipes to clear out any water that would be in them.
If you do have a pipe that bursts, you’ll need to contact a plumber to have it