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All property owners that reside in warm climates need to do their ideal to winterize their pipes. It is something you have to do during fall before deep winter months really starts. Failure to do so can lead to disaster like icy, fractured, or burst pipes. If the climate outside is terrible, below are some handy winterizing hacks to keep your plumbing system shielded also.
Attempt a Hair Clothes Dryer or Heat Gun
When your pipes are almost freezing, your reliable hair clothes dryer or heat weapon is a godsend. If the hot towels do not assist displace any settling ice in your pipes, bowling warm air directly right into them might help. You might finish up damaging your pipes while attempting to thaw the ice.
Open Cabinet Doors Hiding Plumbing
When it's chilly outside, it would be helpful to open cupboard doors that are concealing your pipelines. Doing this tiny method can maintain your pipes cozy and restrict the potentially harmful end results of freezing temperature levels.
Take Some Time to Wrap Exposed Piping
One awesome and also simple hack to warm up frigid pipelines is to cover them with warm towels. You can cover them initially with towels. After protecting them in place, you can put boiling water on the towels. Do it slowly to allow the towels soak up the liquid. You can also make use of pre-soaked towels in hot water, just don't forget to wear protective handwear covers to protect your hands from the heat.
Turn On the Faucets
When the temperature decreases and it appears as if the frigid temperature level will certainly last, it will assist to turn on your water both inside your home and also outdoors. This will certainly keep the water streaming with your plumbing systems. In addition, the activity will certainly reduce the cold procedure. Notably, there's no need to turn it on full force. You'll end up throwing away gallons of water by doing this. Instead, go for concerning 5 drops per minute.
Shut Off Water When Pipes are Frozen
If you discover that your pipes are totally icy or nearly nearing that phase, transform off the main water valve instantly. You will typically discover this in your basement or utility room near the heating unit or the front wall closest to the street. Transform it off immediately to prevent further damage.
Don't forget to close outside water sources, as well, such as your hookup for the garden house. Doing this will prevent additional water from filling up your plumbing system. With even more water, more ice will pile up, which will eventually lead to break pipelines. It is best to call an expert plumber for an assessment if you are uncertain regarding the state of your pipes this winter. Taking this aggressive strategy can save you thousands of bucks out of commission.
All home owners that live in temperate environments need to do their finest to winterize their pipes. Failing to do so can mean catastrophe like frozen, split, or ruptured pipelines. If the hot towels do not aid dislodge any kind of working out ice in your pipes, bowling warm air directly right into them may help. Transform off the main water shutoff instantly if you notice that your pipelines are completely icy or practically nearing that phase. With more water, even more ice will load up, which will at some point lead to rupture pipes.
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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