Homeowners can be caught unprepared for sudden cold temperatures when winter arrives unexpectedly. Avoiding expensive plumbing repairs depends on getting a plumbing checkup now, before cold weather strikes. Waiting too long will probably result in a few headaches and cost you money.
Guide to Fall Plumbing Preparation
- Your outside water hoses can freeze and then expand so they should be disconnected. If your outside hoses freeze, it can cause the inside connecting pipes and faucets to break.
- Check outside faucets for drips or leaking, and have a professional repair any leaks you find before winter arrives. Frozen pipes can cause cracking. Even the smallest crack can cause flooding in your home.
- Use a polystyrene foam insulation kit on your outdoor faucets. Purchase kits at your local home improvements store.
- Pipes in crawl spaces and garages should be insulated with a heat tap. Thermostat controlled heat cables can be used to heat pipes in areas where they are likely to freeze.
- Seal air leaks around doors and windows to lessen the amount of air penetration in your home.
- Flush out your water heater before winter hits to remove sediment build-up. This part of your fall plumbing checkup can increase the life of your water heater by reducing corrosion. There is a faucet at the bottom of water heaters that will allow water to be drained from the heater. If this task sounds like too formidable of a job, then hire a professional to complete this task before cold weather arrives.
- Your water heater should be set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure peak performance.
- Clean leaves and debris from your gutters and downspouts. Water will freeze and thaw in them during the winter months, and keeping them clean means that water will run out of them easily.
- Make sure your home stays above 55 degrees and turn off your main water valve if you take any extended vacations during the winter.
We want to educate our Calgary customers about their seasonal plumbing checkup. For more information about your plumbing or other home comfort issues, contact Arpi’s Industries LTD.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about plumbing and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “kurhan/Shutterstock”
