During winter, temperatures drop drastically, causing water in your home’s plumbing to freeze and expand, leading to pipes bursting. Burst pipes not only create a huge inconvenience by depriving you of water supply, but they also contribute to costly repairs for the damages caused. A ruptured pipe may also discharge large amounts of water into your home, leading to flooding and catastrophic water damage. A homeowner must learn how best to prepare your plumbing for winter and prevent the associated damages. Here are some of the ways to winterize your home’s plumbing.
1. Insulate Your Pipes
One of the primary ways of shielding your plumbing from freezing is by insulating your plumbing. Insulation prevents the water inside your pipes from being affected by the cold temperature outside and, therefore, stops it from freezing. Pipes that pass through less heated spaces like the attic, garage, and basement require more insulation. It is crucial to hire a plumbing expert to insulate your pipes because they know the best material to use and to insulate them expertly. A relatively low cost of insulating your plumbing can save you considerable costs in damages.
2. Keep Your Home Warm
During winter, temperatures may drop below freezing temperature. It is crucial to maintain warmth in your house by increasing the temperature of your thermostat. When adequate heat flows throughout your home, it prevents your pipes from freezing. Additionally, keep your heating system on, even when you go on vacation or leave your home unoccupied for some time. Set your thermostat at a constant temperature to maintain efficiency while preventing the freezing of your plumbing system.
3. Protect Your Outdoor Plumbing
Outdoor pipes and faucets are more likely to freeze and burst during winter, spreading these effects to indoor plumbing. You should protect your outdoor faucets, hoses, irrigation systems, sprinklers, and pipes by turning them off from your home’s main supply. It would be best to drain your outside plumbing to prevent water in them from freezing and causing them to burst.
4. Let Your Faucets Drip
Allowing a slight drip of water from your faucets when temperatures are very low is crucial in preventing your pipes from bursting. Dripping faucets eases the built-in pressure in your pipes and causes water to move freely within them. Moving water is less likely to freeze and burst your pipes than still water.
5. Seal the Vents
It is crucial to prevent cold air from entering your home from the outside environment. You can do this by sealing your house’s vents and winterizing spaces that cold air is likely to enter your home through. Air leaks can allow enough cold air to freeze your pipes. An HVAC expert from Tuck & Howell, Inc. can help you comprehensively winterize your home and prevent your pipes from freezing by sealing air leaks and crawl spaces. The professionals will likely use caulking, weatherstripping, or insulation to implement this. Additionally, keep the garage door closed to prevent cold air from entering your home and causing plumbing in the bordering walls to freeze.
6. Circulate Warm Air
Cabinet doors block a significant amount of heat from reaching where your pipes are located and raising the temperature around that location. Open cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate and reach your house’s plumbing. This helps prevent the pipes from freezing and bursting.
7. Install Heating Tapes/Cables
In areas where homeowners experience a severe drop in temperature, it is advisable to install heat tapes or cables around your pipes. Heat tapes heat the area around the pipes, preventing water from freezing and your pipes from bursting. Contact an HVAC professional from Tuck & Howell, Inc. to install your heating tapes, as they may become a safety hazard if done incorrectly. The heat cables monitor the temperature of your pipes and will dissipate heat when temperatures become too low.
Rely on the Professionals from Tuck & Howell, Inc.
Winterizing your plumbing is critical to avoid immense damage as a result of bursting pipes and destruction of property. Contact plumbing experts from Tuck & Howell, Inc. to prepare your plumbing for the cold winter season. We also offer comprehensive heating, cooling, and plumbing services in Greer and the surrounding areas. These services include the repair, installation, and maintenance of air conditioners, heating systems, indoor air quality services, ductwork, crawlspace encapsulation, and plumbing. Contact Tuck & Howell, Inc. today for exceptional HVAC and plumbing solutions.
