Mastering Pipe Winterization: 5 Key Hacks to Use in Frigid Temperatures
Mastering Pipe Winterization: 5 Key Hacks to Use in Frigid Temperatures
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We've stumbled on this post relating to How to Prevent Frozen Pipes directly below on the net and reckoned it made sense to discuss it with you in this article.
All home owners that live in warm climates need to do their best to winterize their pipes. It is something you need to do during fall before deep wintertime truly starts. Failure to do so can lead to catastrophe like icy, broken, or ruptured pipes. Below are some useful winterizing hacks to keep your plumbing system secured even if the weather outside is shocking.
Attempt a Hair Clothes Dryer or Heat Weapon
When your pipelines are practically freezing, your reliable hair dryer or warm weapon is a blessing. If the hot towels do not assist displace any clearing up ice in your pipelines, bowling hot air directly into them might aid. Nonetheless, do not use other items that create straight fires like a blow torch. This can lead to a larger disaster that you can not control. You may end up damaging your pipes while trying to melt the ice. And over time, you may also end up melting your residence. Beware!
Open Closet Doors Hiding Plumbing
When it's cold outside, it would certainly be practical to open cabinet doors that are masking your pipes. Doing this small method can keep your pipelines warm and restrict the potentially dangerous end results of freezing temperatures.
Require Time to Wrap Exposed Pipes
One great as well as very easy hack to heat up freezing pipelines is to wrap them with cozy towels. You can additionally use pre-soaked towels in warm water, just don't neglect to wear safety handwear covers to protect your hands from the warm.
Turn On the Faucets
When the temperature level declines and it appears as if the frigid temperature will certainly last, it will certainly help to switch on your water both inside and outdoors. This will certainly maintain the water flowing with your plumbing systems. On top of that, the movement will reduce the cold process. Significantly, there's no demand to transform it on full blast. You'll end up losing gallons of water in this manner. Instead, aim for regarding 5 declines per min.
Shut Off Water When Pipes are Frozen
Switch off the main water valve promptly if you see that your pipes are completely frozen or nearly nearing that phase. You will usually find this in your basement or utility room near the heating unit or the front wall closest to the street. Turn it off right now to prevent further damage.
Don't forget to shut exterior water resources, too, such as your hookup for the garden house. Doing this will certainly prevent additional water from filling up your plumbing system. With even more water, more ice will certainly load up, which will ultimately lead to rupture pipes. It is best to call an expert plumber for an assessment if you are not sure regarding the state of your pipelines this winter months. Taking this aggressive technique can save you thousands of bucks out of commission.
All home owners who live in temperate environments have to do their finest to winterize their pipes. Failing to do so can mean catastrophe like icy, split, or burst pipelines. If the hot towels do not help displace any settling ice in your pipelines, bowling hot air straight into them may help. Transform off the main water shutoff right away if you discover that your pipelines are completely icy or practically nearing that phase. With more water, even more ice will certainly pile up, which will ultimately lead to break pipelines.
Planning Ahead for Winter Plumbing!
Given how the weather has been recently here in Kansas City, it may not seem like it, but the truth is winter is quickly approaching. As we near the end of September, it is never a bad idea to start considering which areas of your home could use some preventative maintenance heading into the colder months, as well as what you should remember to do once the colder temps settle in. And considering your plumbing system can certainly be impacted by changing weather conditions, guess what we’ll be talking about today?
For those that are visiting our blog for the very first time, welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing. Here on the blog, we post weekly about various aspects of the plumbing world. Whether that be DIY tips, brand highlights or anything else, they’re all designed to make homeowners more knowledgeable about their plumbing systems. Believe it or not, even just some general knowledge about one’s plumbing can go a long way in preventing unneeded repairs and keeping everything running smoothly. As referenced in the previous paragraph, this week’s blog will walk through a few of the steps you can do to your own plumbing system to ensure you’re ready to go for the upcoming winter weather and tips for keeping it all in working order as the winter carries on. Let’s hop right in!
Disconnect Hoses
You’ve likely heard this one on multiple occasions, but it is certainly something worth mentioning. Make sure to disconnect any and all outdoor hoses and then turn off those outdoor faucets at the shut-off. The logic behind this is probably something you would have learned in a grade school science class. When water freezes, it expands. Thus, due to this, it’s going to occupy more space. And if there’s no space to occupy, trouble ensues. It’s as simple as that!
Long story short, if you have room to store them indoors, do so. If not, just be sure to completely drain them and then store them in a dry area, such as the garage or a shed. Failure to disconnect the hoses can easily result in frozen/bursting pipes and plumbing headaches for you, especially if there is still water sitting in the hose! Do yourself a favor and disconnect your hoses once you know you won’t be using them anymore for that season. It’s a quick-and-easy step that’s always worth the time.
Headed Out of Town?
Our next point will likely get more and more relevant as we get into the holiday season. Do you remember the extreme arctic blast that hit the Kansas City area in February of 2021? Sub-zero temps, frigid wind chills, it was definitely not the funnest of times for KC residents. Nonetheless, here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, it’s safe to say our technicians were quite busy dealing with frozen/bursting pipes. What I’m hinting at here is that you never know when we’ll experience extremely cold temperatures. So if you’re going to be out of town for a little bit, it’s never a bad idea to turn off your water at the main shut-off valve. While this won’t prevent every possible plumbing issue, it will at least limit the damage if something bad were to occur. Especially if you don’t have a family member or friend that’ll be checking on your home while you’re away, make sure to keep this tip in mind!
By the way, it may sound like a no-brainer to most, but if you are headed out of town, make sure to also keep the heat on inside while away. You will have some added energy costs from heating a home while nobody’s there, but if it prevents you from dealing with a plumbing emergency, it’s well worth it!
Leave Cabinet Doors Open
As you may start to notice, the primary winter plumbing problem that you need to be mindful of involves pipes freezing. Whether it be indoors or outdoors, they can freeze for a few different reasons, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of various tactics you can implement to improve your odds of keeping everything in working order. Yet another one of these that you’ve likely heard before is leaving the cabinet doors under your bathroom or kitchen sink open. Will this provide complete protection? Not necessarily. However, this is an easy way to make sure some of the heat in your home is reaching those pipes that aren’t insulated under your sinks.
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