My Top Winterizing Strategies: 5 Approaches to Guard Pipe Bursts
My Top Winterizing Strategies: 5 Approaches to Guard Pipe Bursts
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We've unearthed this post about How to stop pipes from freezing during the winter directly below on the net and reckoned it made sense to write about it with you here.
All house owners who live in temperate climates have to do their ideal to winterize their pipelines. Failure to do so can lead to catastrophe like icy, split, or burst pipelines.
Switch on the Faucets
When the temperature declines and also it appears as if the icy temperature will last, it will certainly aid to transform on your water both indoors and also outdoors. This will certainly keep the water flowing through your plumbing systems. You'll end up squandering gallons of water this method.
Open Closet Doors Hiding Plumbing
When it's cool outside, it would certainly be practical to open up cupboard doors that are masking your pipes. Doing this tiny trick can maintain your pipelines cozy as well as limit the potentially unsafe results of freezing temperatures.
Require Time to Wrap Exposed Pipeline
One very easy and great hack to warm up frigid pipes is to wrap them with cozy towels. You can cover them initially with towels. After protecting them in position, you can pour boiling water on the towels. Do it slowly to allow the towels take in the liquid. You can also utilize pre-soaked towels in hot water, just don't forget to use safety gloves to safeguard your hands from the warmth.
Attempt a Hair Dryer or Warm Gun
When your pipelines are practically freezing, your dependable hair clothes dryer or warmth weapon is a godsend. Bowling hot air directly right into them might aid if the hot towels do not aid displace any kind of clearing up ice in your pipelines. Do not use various other items that produce straight flames like a strike torch. This can lead to a bigger catastrophe that you can not control. You may end up harmful your pipelines while attempting to thaw the ice. And in the long run, you might even wind up melting your home. Be careful!
Shut Off Water When Pipes are Frozen
Turn off the primary water valve quickly if you notice that your pipelines are totally icy or nearly nearing that phase. You will usually locate this in your cellar or utility room near the heater or the front wall closest to the street. Turn it off as soon as possible to stop further damages.
Do not forget to shut exterior water resources, also, such as your connection for the yard residence. Doing this will avoid added water from filling your plumbing system. With more water, even more ice will certainly pile up, which will at some point lead to break pipes. If you are unsure regarding the state of your pipelines this winter season, it is best to call a specialist plumber for an examination. Taking this aggressive strategy can conserve you countless dollars out of commission.
All home owners that live in pleasant environments need to do their finest to winterize their pipelines. Failing to do so can spell disaster like frozen, broken, or ruptured pipes. If the warm towels do not help dislodge any clearing up ice in your pipes, bowling warm air directly into them may aid. Transform off the major water valve promptly if you observe that your pipelines are completely frozen or nearly nearing that phase. With more water, more ice will stack up, which will ultimately lead to burst pipelines.
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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