How To Get Your Plumbing Ready For Winter
Winter is here, and with winter comes a whole host of cold weather problems for your home. If you’re not careful, the freezing temperatures could damage your plumbing and cause you to need major repairs. Is your home ready for winter this year, or are you going to need expensive fixes at the end of the season? Follow these steps to make sure your plumbing is ready for freezing winter temperatures.
Schedule repairs: If you’ve been putting off that sump pump repair, you’ll want to schedule it soon. Making sure that all of your plumbing repairs are taken care of before winter fully hits ensures that malfunctioning equipment won’t cause additional strain on your plumbing during the cold.
Add insulation: If you’re able to, add a bit of extra insulation around your pipes before the cold weather hits. That way, when temperatures drop, you can avoid your pipes freezing, saving you from expensive frozen pipe repairs later on. Additionally, preparing your pipes now will help you save a bit of energy on heating during the colder months.
Prepare your water heater: Make sure to check that your water heater is functioning properly before the coldest weather of the year hits. Contact a plumber to perform maintenance on your water heater before it gets too cold. If you need to adjust your water heater’s temperature, make sure it stays below 125 degrees.
Fix any leaks: Take this chance while you’re preparing your plumbing for winter to patch up any leaks or fix any leaking faucets you may have in your home. In the United States, household leaks can waste nearly 900 billion gallons annually; fixing your leaks can improve the efficiency of your plumbing and help you conserve water.
Turn off outside taps: Keep your pipes safe from freezing by limiting exposure to cold exterior temperatures. Turn off outside taps, and be especially careful to protect pipes in exterior walls.
Looking for general plumbing or sump pump repair before the cold weather fully hits? Contact Greenwell Plumbing to schedule your plumbing maintenance before you run the risk of your pipes freezing.