Insuring That Your Pipes Won’t Freeze This Winter
Now, as the temperatures begin to drop, you should make sure the pipes in your home are prepared for winter. When water freezes it expands, and likewise, the water in any pipe exposes to sub-freezing winter temperature, could freeze, expand, and easily burst the pipe, leading to a potential plumbing emergency. There are a few simple steps you can take now, many of them courtesy of the Portland Water Bureau, which will protect your pipes from bursting when the freezing weather comes.
Starting with the outside, protect your outside pipes and faucets. If your faucets have an indoor shutoff valve, then close the valve and run the outdoor faucet until drained of all water. While draining the valve, go back downstairs and see if your shut off valve has a small brass plug or cap. Tighten the cap to force all water out of the valve. Then go outside and shut off the outdoor faucet. If you don’t have an outdoor shutoff valve, then detach your hoses and wrap outdoor faucets or bibs, using newspaper or rags covered with plastic, fiberglass or molded foam. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to drain underground sprinkler systems.
Seal off any leaks into the house. Caulk around pipes where they enter the house. Close off foundation vents with wood or Styrofoam blocks. BE SURE TO OPEN UP THE VENTS IN THE SPRING. Seal any cracks in the foundation, and seal off entrance holes used for wires or dryer vents.
Now insulate pipes inside your home. Be sure to insulate pipes in unheated areas such as the attic crawl space, garage or basement. Pipes can be protected with insulating tape or a molded pipe sleeve. Troublesome pipes can be wrapped with heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cable. Particularly difficult pipes may need to be rerouted, check with your plumber.
Another troublesome area of the home is under the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Pipes in these areas frequently run against the outside wall, they are cut off from warm air in the home, and if there is any air leak at all from the outside, this may cause problems. If you are concerned that the temperature in the cabinet may drop considerably than you should insulate the pipes, and in any case, you should keep the cabinet open during winter cold spells.
Extra precautions you can take include leaving a little water running, when the temperatures drop below freezing. Run cold water, to save on the bill, and run faucets furthest form the street so that all the water in the house is moving.
If you are going on vacation for more than several days, you can drain all the water in the house. Turn off the water heater, turn off the main shut off valve, open all faucets, and then drain the valves. Then shut all the faucets.
If you take these precautions now, then you can sure that your home will be protected from a burst pipe this winter.
Thanks to A-1 Plumbing of Baltimore, a Burst pipe company, for sponsoring this report. If you live in the Metro Baltimore area, and have any questions about protecting your home from Burst pipe contact A-1 Plumbing now.
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