Winter Plumbing Maintenance

When the mercury drops during winter, frozen or burst pipes and broken water heaters can cause water damage and costly repairs. Follow these steps to prevent plumbing disasters in your home:

Drain outdoor water supply lines
Disconnect garden hoses and drain water from water sprinkler supply lines, swimming
pools and spigots. Be sure to shut off the water supply.

Check your water heater
If you have an older water heater, replace it before winter hits. Gas heaters normally last 8 to 14 years, and electric ones last 10-18 years. You can find the installation date on the service plate or on the heater’s serial number.

Insulate exposed pipes
Water can freeze in both hot and cold water supply lines, so it’s important to insulate exposed pipes in areas that aren’t well-heated, like under your bathroom and kitchen cabinets and in your basement, attic and garage. To insulate pipes, wrap them with foam insulation and secure them with tape. For added protection, wrap heat tape (thermostatically-controlled electric cables) around pipes following the manufacturer’s instructions for installation.

Take precautions during extreme cold
Even if you’ve already insulated your pipes, leave doors open in crawl spaces and under cabinets to let warmer air circulate. If there are pipes in the garage, keep the doors closed. Allow water to drip from faucets to prevent pipes from freezing—even a dribble helps.

Prep your house before you go away
If you’re going to be away from your home for a month or more, keep the heat on and set the thermostat to no lower than 55°F. A plumber can drain your water system by shutting off faucets, opening the meter in the basement, and using an air compressor to force excess liquid from pipes. Shut off the water heater as well.

Be sure to contact us if you have any questions or needs any assistance with your winter maintenance.

Have any additional tips that you do to protect your plumbing in the winter? Share them in the comments below.