How to Prepare Your Home’s Plumbing for Winter

Winter is coming, and while you may have gotten on with preparations and furnace checks, we are here to remind you that your plumbing needs attention too.

You will need to take preventive measures before the cold months set in. The frigid weather and winter storms will leave your pipes frozen, and this can be a very uncomfortable situation. The result will be burst pipes, water damage, and flooding.

Winterizing your pipes helps you prevent any of this from happening. At Countryside Plumbing, Sewer, and Septic, we can undertake this task for you. And if you can do so by yourself, we have prepared a list of actions to take in preparation for winter. Continue reading to learn more.

Preparing your Plumbing for Winter

Maintenance checks, repairs, and winterizing your pipes will put you ahead of all the problems that may come with winter. We advise our clients to do the following:  

• Replace old faucets, as corroded ones can lead to problems with water flow.
• Ensure your gutter area is clean and free of dirt and leaves so clogs that may cause flooding do not happen.
• Cover up any open drains with something water cannot permeate. This is important if you have a sump pump in your property or electric lines running around your basement
• Proper garbage disposal is necessary to prevent any clogs or drain-related problems. Remember that grease, food remnants, and hard materials do not belong in your pipes. Only water, toilet paper, and waste should go down your pipes. The last thing you want during the winter is a clogged drain.
• Maintain a source of heating within your home and open doors to allow warm air to get to your pipes. You may even leave faucets slightly open to ease the pressure in case of frozen pipes.
• Keep an eye on uninsulated pipes and cables that lead to the outside of your property, and inspect exposed pipes for signs of swelling. The pipes may have survived last winter, but if they are swollen already, they may not survive this one.

In the cold winter months, frozen pipes are standard, but the repercussions are largely preventable, and you should take action to prevent them. If your pipes freeze, the pressure of the ice forces the water to burst, causing leaks and flooding. And even though the frozen pipes are outdoors, the flooding will most likely be inside your home. This is why your outdoor pipes need to be winterized. Here are some tips for this

• Remove your garden hoses and drain them out. Preferably, store the hose away.
• If your outdoor faucet has a freeze-proof valve, you will not need to do this, but if it doesn’t, you will have to shut the valve and ensure the stopper is open and drains water.
• You will need to insulate the faucet and the hose so that cold air doesn’t get trapped within the wall and cause pipes to freeze.

If this proves difficult for you, we are only a call away.

Holiday goers will need to do a step-by-step winterization process so that frozen pipes and flooding in your property do not cut short your holiday plans. If you need help winterizing your property, or maintaining your property’s plumbing, reach out to us here.

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