The dilemma of home plumbing can simply be avoided if home owners take certain safety measures and perform proper maintenance. Prevent a visit from the costly plumbing repair service and show your home plumbing system a little love over this Valentine’s Day by partaking in these simple tasks suggested by residential plumbers:
1. Check for leaks.
Even the tiniest leak in your faucets and pipes can cause unmanageable flooding or even noticed or looked after immediately. The resulting damage can require substantial home and plumbing repair which may be quite costly. Therefore, you should check all exterior surfaces, unheated basements, garages and crawl areas, especially those places that lack insulation. Small to no insulation results in pipes more susceptible to the elements and therefore they are more prone to crack and leak. Seattle Plumbers Getting in connection with a residential plumber can even be useful as they may help you scope out trouble areas and will give you a synopsis of how to prepare and maintain your plumbing over the winter season.
2. Drain and insulate.
Draining and insulating all out-of-doors faucets and pipes in your house plumbing system before the winter sets in is a must as any water that receives trapped in those pipes can freeze, expand, and crack, bust, or burst the pipes. Securing these exterior pipes can assist you avoid dealing with property damages and distressing plumbing repair.
Here are some ways to prepare your exterior pipes for the winter:
– Drain and disconnect all garden hoses and work with a hose bib or faucet cover up to insulate your outside faucets from freezing temperatures.
– For irrigation systems, shut off the water flow in to the system and drain all normal water from the pipes.
For further support in preventing costly plumbing fixes, most residential plumbers will let you with the draining and insulating process for your home plumbing.
3. Weatherproof trouble areas.
The next step is to look out for areas containing exposed plumbing. Doorways, windows, and vent fans ought to be checked to make certain their seals remain tight. If a seal is loose, it usually is fixed up with caulking to avert your home plumbing from freezing. Also be sure to repair and cracked windows as they can result in freezing temperatures coming in contact with your plumbing and will result in expensive plumbing repair costs.
4. Insulate exposed pipes.
Instead of sealing off all airflow in your home, which can potentially lead to mold growth, factors to consider your pipes are correctly insulated so that they can stand up against cold winter air. Being an easy and inexpensive process, insulating your home plumbing is the strategy to use. It usually is as easy as putting in foam tubing or towels around your pipes and can help your water heater retain heat (and therefore lower those pricey energy bills). Vulnerable pipes near electrical resources should be insulated with electrical heat tape. Heat tape, that may be wrapped around the pipes, is a superb tool for providing just enough heat to keep your pipes from freezing.
5. Keep indoor pipes warm.
Though most of the wintertime home plumbing issues are because of outdoor pipes, you mustn’t forget about your indoor plumbing. Indoor pipes may also freeze in winter, so doing things such as opening cabinet doors to expose your pipes to your home’s heat might help prevent internal home plumbing problems. For when you plan on being away from home for an extended time period, make sure you set your inside thermostat to at the least 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Letting your indoor faucets drip steadily once the temperature outside drops below 30 degrees Fahrenheit might help avoid pipes from bursting and leading to serious damages.