Practical Plumbing Winterization Techniques to Defend Against Pipe Bursts in Chilly Conditions
Practical Plumbing Winterization Techniques to Defend Against Pipe Bursts in Chilly Conditions
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Just how do you actually feel on the subject of Winterizing Your Pipes?
All property owners who live in temperate environments should do their best to winterize their pipes. Failure to do so can spell calamity like icy, fractured, or ruptured pipelines.
Switch on the Faucets
When the temperature level decreases and also it appears as if the cold temperature level will last, it will help to turn on your water both inside your home and also outdoors. This will certainly keep the water moving through your plumbing systems. You'll end up throwing away gallons of water this way.
Open Cabinet Doors Hiding Plumbing
It would be valuable to open closet doors that are masking your pipelines when it's cold outside. As an example, they could be someplace in your cooking area or restroom. This will enable the cozy air from your heating system to circulate there. Consequently, you stop these exposed pipes from cold. Doing this little trick can keep your pipes warm and also limit the potentially hazardous results of freezing temperatures.
Take Time to Wrap Exposed Pipeline
One easy and also nifty hack to warm up frigid pipes is to cover them with cozy towels. You can also use pre-soaked towels in hot water, just don't fail to remember to put on safety handwear covers to safeguard your hands from the warmth.
Attempt a Hair Clothes Dryer or Warmth Weapon
When your pipelines are virtually freezing, your trusty hair clothes dryer or warm gun is a blessing. Bowling warm air straight into them may assist if the warm towels do not assist remove any settling ice in your pipelines. Do not make use of other things that create straight flames like an impact lantern. This can result in a larger catastrophe that you can not manage. You might wind up harmful your pipelines while attempting to melt the ice. And over time, you may also end up burning your home. So beware!
Shut Off Water When Pipes are Frozen
Turn off the major water shutoff immediately if you notice that your pipes are entirely frozen or nearly nearing that stage. You will usually find this in your basement or laundry room near the heating system or the front wall closest to the street. Turn it off as soon as possible to prevent more damage.
Don't forget to shut external water sources, as well, such as your connection for the yard home. Doing this will certainly prevent extra water from filling your plumbing system. Regrettably, with more water, more ice will accumulate, which will at some point result in burst pipes. It is best to call a professional plumber for an evaluation if you are not sure concerning the state of your pipelines this winter season. Taking this proactive method can save you thousands of bucks out of commission.
All property owners that live in temperate environments should do their best to winterize their pipelines. Failing to do so can lead to calamity like icy, fractured, or burst pipes. If the warm towels do not aid displace any clearing up ice in your pipes, bowling warm air directly right into them might assist. Transform off the main water valve instantly if you observe that your pipes are entirely frozen or virtually nearing that stage. With even more water, even more ice will load up, which will ultimately lead to burst pipelines.
Planning Ahead for Winter Plumbing!
Given how the weather has been recently here in Kansas City, it may not seem like it, but the truth is winter is quickly approaching. As we near the end of September, it is never a bad idea to start considering which areas of your home could use some preventative maintenance heading into the colder months, as well as what you should remember to do once the colder temps settle in. And considering your plumbing system can certainly be impacted by changing weather conditions, guess what we’ll be talking about today?
For those that are visiting our blog for the very first time, welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing. Here on the blog, we post weekly about various aspects of the plumbing world. Whether that be DIY tips, brand highlights or anything else, they’re all designed to make homeowners more knowledgeable about their plumbing systems. Believe it or not, even just some general knowledge about one’s plumbing can go a long way in preventing unneeded repairs and keeping everything running smoothly. As referenced in the previous paragraph, this week’s blog will walk through a few of the steps you can do to your own plumbing system to ensure you’re ready to go for the upcoming winter weather and tips for keeping it all in working order as the winter carries on. Let’s hop right in!
Disconnect Hoses
You’ve likely heard this one on multiple occasions, but it is certainly something worth mentioning. Make sure to disconnect any and all outdoor hoses and then turn off those outdoor faucets at the shut-off. The logic behind this is probably something you would have learned in a grade school science class. When water freezes, it expands. Thus, due to this, it’s going to occupy more space. And if there’s no space to occupy, trouble ensues. It’s as simple as that!
Long story short, if you have room to store them indoors, do so. If not, just be sure to completely drain them and then store them in a dry area, such as the garage or a shed. Failure to disconnect the hoses can easily result in frozen/bursting pipes and plumbing headaches for you, especially if there is still water sitting in the hose! Do yourself a favor and disconnect your hoses once you know you won’t be using them anymore for that season. It’s a quick-and-easy step that’s always worth the time.
Headed Out of Town?
Our next point will likely get more and more relevant as we get into the holiday season. Do you remember the extreme arctic blast that hit the Kansas City area in February of 2021? Sub-zero temps, frigid wind chills, it was definitely not the funnest of times for KC residents. Nonetheless, here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, it’s safe to say our technicians were quite busy dealing with frozen/bursting pipes. What I’m hinting at here is that you never know when we’ll experience extremely cold temperatures. So if you’re going to be out of town for a little bit, it’s never a bad idea to turn off your water at the main shut-off valve. While this won’t prevent every possible plumbing issue, it will at least limit the damage if something bad were to occur. Especially if you don’t have a family member or friend that’ll be checking on your home while you’re away, make sure to keep this tip in mind!
By the way, it may sound like a no-brainer to most, but if you are headed out of town, make sure to also keep the heat on inside while away. You will have some added energy costs from heating a home while nobody’s there, but if it prevents you from dealing with a plumbing emergency, it’s well worth it!
Leave Cabinet Doors Open
As you may start to notice, the primary winter plumbing problem that you need to be mindful of involves pipes freezing. Whether it be indoors or outdoors, they can freeze for a few different reasons, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of various tactics you can implement to improve your odds of keeping everything in working order. Yet another one of these that you’ve likely heard before is leaving the cabinet doors under your bathroom or kitchen sink open. Will this provide complete protection? Not necessarily. However, this is an easy way to make sure some of the heat in your home is reaching those pipes that aren’t insulated under your sinks.
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