When the weather begins to get colder, there is always a possibility of your pipes undergoing the process of freezing. Frozen pipes can be a hassle to deal with, and sometimes you may even need the help of professionals to thaw them and make sure that they do not break due to the immense amounts of pressure from hot and cold! It is always in your best interest to know about the plumbing systems in your home and where the pipes run. This will give you the upper-hand if something were to happen to any of the plumbing systems in your home. Here are a couple tips to help prevent the freezing of pipes come fall and winter time!
– First off, you should always seal all air leaks that may let an icy blast of wind reach your pipes! This will help against the cold air entering the pipes, and will prevent them from freezing.
– Pipes that are located outside or near an outside wall will usually be subjected to very freezing temperatures. Any plumbing systems that are located in the garage our outside will also be susceptible to very cold temperatures. It is best to insulate or wrap these pipes using heat tape, or some other type of insulator that will keep the pipes somewhat heated.
– Also, keep the water meter lid closed at all times to keep it from freezing up.
– Do NOT forget outside faucets! These can be the easiest to freeze from cold temperatures. Drain any water that is in the faucets and outside piping. If there are no valves outside to those faucets, it would be a good idea to wrap or insulate them so they don’t freeze. You could also put a plastic bag over the insulation as well to keep in the heat.
– Pipes throughout cabinets can also be located near an outside wall, so it would be a good idea to keep the cabinets open to allow heat flow to enter the pipes so they do not freeze and burst.
– If your home has a crawl space underneath, make sure to close all air vents that would be located in the walls.
– If you plan on an extended vacation during the cold weather months, it would be a good idea to call in the professionals to have them winterize your home. This will prevent any pipes from bursting while you are away.
Even with taking all of these precautions, a frozen pipe may still occur. If this happens and you do not know what to do, call in your local plumbing team to help you fix this issue. These are just a couple of tips to help you prevent frozen pipes in your home, if you need further assistance, call your local plumbing team for any and all plumbing needs.