With winter weather in full effect, the cold weather invites many potential plumbing problems into your home. Freezing morning showers, cracked or frozen water pipes, flooding and leaks are just a few of the unwanted issues brought to you by the cold winter weather. Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent these issues. Norfolk Plumbing offers the following tips to keep your plumbing system in elite condition during the winter months.
- Disconnect garden hoses and drain the outdoor pipes to prevent damage. If left connected, ice will form and pressure will build up in the water lines inside your home. More likely than not, a water line leak or break will occur and cause severe damage to your home.
- Locate the shut-off valves inside your home to drain water from pipes leading outdoors. These valves can typically be found under sinks, in crawl spaces or basements, or near your water heater or meter. Every home is different and some homes may not be equipped with these valves.
- Circulating warm air in your home helps to keep pipes in the walls from freezing. Keeping your home temperature above 55° prevents pipes from freezing. You can also open cabinet doors under sinks and faucets to help circulate the warm air.
- Insulate the pipes that are not subjected to regular heat, this will protect them when the cold weather hits so they do not freeze up.
- On nights when the weather drops below freezing, leave the faucet furthest away from the meter dripping so that your water will not freeze. Remember, water does not freeze if it is moving.
Have you applied any of these tips to your home for winter? Do you have any other suggestions? Please let us know below, so that we can share your ideas with others! Norfolk Plumbing suggests scheduling annual maintenance to properly check for any issues and fix repairs where needed. If you have a question or would like to schedule an appointment, contact us here.