Unless you’re a resident of South Florida or Southern California, all Americans are prone to plumbing problems when winter rolls around. Nobody should fear winter for the household issues the season might cause. These tips should help you winterize your plumbing against the upcoming winter season.
Prepare Your Outdoor Faucets
Called various names, including hose spigot, sill cock, and hose bib, outdoor water faucets make gardening, home improvement, and recreation easy. You’ve probably seen these covered up with Styrofoam during the winter. Believe it or not, this step isn’t sufficient for preventing freezing.
Crawl underneath your home and find the sill cock’s shutoff valve. After turning it off, open the valve to let any remaining water drain. Unroll hoses to clear them of water, too. Store hoses in any indoor space, including sheds or garages. Now, it’s time to cover the spigot with the ubiquitous Styrofoam faucet cover.
Look Into a Pipe Heat Cable
Unlike your home’s living spaces, your crawlspace probably isn’t insulated. Home to most of your home’s plumbing, its lack of insulation leaves pipes vulnerable to freezing. Rather than beginning a full-scale insulation-installation project on your own, a pipe heat cable is a much more convenient solution for preventing pipe freezing. These electric-powered cords are meant to be coiled around pipes and are typically plugged into standard electrical outlets for power.
Leave Your Sinks Dripping
During the coldest stretches of winter, you should leave your sinks running – very slightly, that is. Flowing water is much less likely to freeze than standing water.
Heading Out? Know Where Your Water Main Is
Every home has a main water supply line, usually just called the water main. Prowl your property to find your home’s water main before winter rolls around. It’s probably near a road or in front of your home.
If you leave town, even just for one night, turn your home’s water off using your water main.
Based in Charlottesville, Beck Cohen is arguably the best plumber in the Charlottesville metropolitan area. Need help with plumbing, air conditioning, or heating? Give us a call!
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