Common Winter Plumbing Problems

It’s that time of year where your home is full of family and holiday cheer, which means more cooking, cleaning, and maintenance. It’s critical to take proper care of your home this winter season to keep your guests and family happy. Superior Water & Air has created a list of the most common winter plumbing problems and how to prevent them.

Grease in your Pipes

Avoid pouring oil, grease, or coffee grounds down your sink or drains to prevent clogs from happening. The consistency of oil and grease prevents it from being washed down the drain with water, allowing them to coast the inside of your plumbing causing buildup. If you notice your drain is beginning to back up or appears clogged call a professional right away.

Frozen Pipes

This is one of the biggest problems that occurs during winter and can be prevented by winterizing your home. A few items you can do now to prepare for the dead of winter is check all of your plumbing systems, indoor and outdoor. To help avoid frozen pipes indoors leave a faucet a little open to make sure water can constantly drip. Clear your garden hose of water completely and drain all outdoor pipes. Shut off valves to be safe. If you already have a frozen pipe, disable the main water supply to stop any further damage. This is important because you don’t want the pipe to break. Try warming the frozen area with heated water, if that does not melt the frozen water then call a professional to solve the problem.

Water Line Leaks

A leak in your water pipe could cause major damage to your home not to mention costly. These leaks or breaks in the water line are typically the result of a frozen garden hose. By leaving your hose connected to your water spout, if a freeze occurs, the ice inside will cause pressure to build up in your home’s water lines leading to a leak or break. This is easily prevented by making sure your garden hoses are drained and disconnected before the freezing temperatures kick in. If you find yourself with a water line leak or break call a professional ASAP, this is not something you want to wait on.

Hot Water Heater Fails

Winter can be a heavy burden for your water heaters but there is a simple way to make sure your water heater lasts you all winter: the temperature gauge. The temperature gauge on your hot water heater shouldn’t be much higher than 140° degrees. Another common complaint is that water isn’t getting hot enough, also check the gauge and make sure it is set high enough. Lastly, if you have a gas heater make sure the pilot light it lit! If you find yourself still taking cold showers, call a professional.

Take action on these common plumbing problems before the temperatures drop much lower! Now is the time to winterize your home to make sure you and your family stay comfortable all winter. For help winterizing your home or for an emergency call Superior Water & Air at 801-312-8143 or schedule an appointment online.