Winter Plumbing Tips

Don’t let your plumbing get the best of you this winter season, take preventative measures now to ensure a happy home all winter. By taking these simple home maintenance tips into consideration you can save yourself time, money, and potential damage.

1. Watch Your Water Pressure

At all costs avoid frozen pipes! Keep an eye on water pressure during the winter months, this is the first sign you have a frozen pipe. If you notice restricted water flow or a significant change in water pressure contact a professional plumber immediately!

2. Keep Your Water Flowing

To prevent freezing in your pipes keep the water moving through them! The easiest way to do this is to let cold water run through your faucets at a constant trickle. Worried about water usage? Only let the water trickle during the coldest temperature hours, at night.

3. Disconnect Garden Hoses and Drain Pipes

You don’t need to water your plants or grass this winter, disconnect your garden hoses and drain any pipes of water to prevent any possible damage. By leaving a garden hose connected to your home, you’re risking ice and pressure build-up in the water lines inside of your home. If buildup occurs a water line could potentially leak or break causing expensive and serious damage to your home.

4. Insulate Exterior Faucets

Once you have disconnected and stored your garden hoses, you will want to install an insulated faucet jacket over all exterior faucets. This is the easiest and most proactive way to protect your faucets and the water lines connected to them from freezing.

5. Drain Water From the Hose Bibs

Locate the shut-off valves in your home to drain all the water from the pipes that lead to the hose bibs outside. These are commonly found near your water heater, meter, basements, crawlspaces, or under sinks. Depending on your home you may or may not be able to access these valves, for assistance call a professional plumber.

6. Keep the Temperature Above 55°

Prevent the pipes in your walls from freezing by keeping your homes temperature above 55°. In addition to keeping your home warm, open the sink cabinet doors which allows the warm air to circulate keeping the pipes warmer.

7. Keep Your Garage Door Closed

The most simple tip of all: keep your garage door closed if you store your water heater in there. Seems stupid but this is commonly overlooked! Also close the vents to your crawl space to prevent any cold drafts from entering your home.

8. Inspect Your Sump Pump

To avoid any floods inside your home keep an eye on the area around the basements sump pump discharge line. If the drainage area is blocked by snow or flowing into a puddle, freezing could occur, as well as water backing up into the house.

9. Schedule Your Annual Plumbing Maintenance

Schedule your annual plumbing maintenance! The best way to prevent a plumbing crisis is by keeping your plumbing systems in tip top shape.

For more tips on keeping your home’s plumbing working efficiently and safely give us a call! Need to schedule a service? Contact us at 801-312-8143 or online to schedule an appointment.