Importance of Winterizing Your Home’s Plumbing

As you prepare your home for the freezing months, do keep your water system in mind. Water tends to expand when frozen. So, if the temperature of your pipes drops, even for a little while, your pipes can suffer from a fracture or worse, can burst.

Signs that indicate you have frozen pipes include:

• Nothing comes out on turning the faucet
• Water is turned off but you still hear it running
• Strong odor coming from drains, sinks, or toilets

It is important to take precautions now to avoid hassles and costs down the lane. Winterize your home’s plumbing to prevent frozen pipes and expensive water damage.

Steps to Winterize Plumbing Inside Your Home

If cold air is blowing on a pipe, it has the potential to freeze it. Make sure your pipes are properly insulated by closing crawl space vents as well as stuffing insulation over the openings.

Even a small hole can allow plenty of cold air to blow in, so make sure to properly fill in the cracks.

If you have a laundry room or bathroom situated above or next to a garage, make sure to keep the garage door closed to maintain maximum heat as the pipes in these rooms are particularly vulnerable to freezing.

If you are expecting a deep freeze, use a fan to circulate the air near the pipes, or buy a small heater for some temporary heat. Other ways to winterize your home include:

• Performing Water Heater Maintenance
• Insulating your Hot Water Heater
• Maintaining a Steady Temperature Indoors

How to Winterize Plumbing Outside Your Home

If your home has a different shut-off for exterior faucets, turn it off and make sure to drain the water from these faucets. Also, turn off and drain lawn sprinkler systems. You may need help from a professional company to remove any remaining water in the underground lines.

A faulty sprinkler pipe can cause damage to the sensitive components that are crucial to the functioning of the entire system, resulting in hefty repair costs. Find out the shut-off for your main waterline before the problems occur.

Depending on how old your home is, it can be inside a basement, garage or laundry room.

Other steps to take include:

• Disconnect garden hoses and place insulation caps on hose bibs
• Insulate any pool equipment exposed to the freezing weather
• Close foundation or exterior vents around the house

Follow these steps to winterize your home. In the event of a broken pipe, contact a professional to make the necessary repairs or replacements.