Once winter rolls around, many homeowners turn their attention to the numerous household chores that need to get done in order to protect their homes from cold weather.
One such task is winterizing your home to protect your pipes and plumbing system from freezing and save your home from the costly damage a frozen and burst pipe can cause. Read on to learn everything you need to know about how to keep your pipes from freezing this winter.
Why Do Pipes Freeze?
Even a faucet that hasn’t been used in days will have a small amount of water sitting inside. Because water expands when it freezes, it can put pressure on the pipe and cause it to crack, warp, and even burst. Pipes near exterior walls or a home’s foundation, exposed pipes, or pipes in rarely used rooms are the most susceptible to freezing.
How to Prepare Pipes
Fortunately, there are several steps homeowners can take to protect pipes from freezing temps this winter.
- Insulate at-risk pipes. Pipes are commonly located along exterior walls or in unheated areas of a home, such as basements and attics. Inexpensive foam pipe insulation sleeves are easy to install and made to protect pipes of all sizes. For extra protection, opt for heated tape or cables.
- Winterize outdoor plumbing. Shut down sprinklers, drain and close outdoor faucets, and disconnect and drain garden hoses. Faucet covers can provide extra security against freezing.
- Seal openings around pipes. Use expanding foam, spackle, or caulk to seal cracks around pipes that run through floors, walls, and ceilings that might let in any excess cold air.
How to Prevent Pipes from Freezing
Monitor the weather so you know when extremely cold temperatures are expected – generally around 25 degrees or below. Then follow these steps to help prevent your pipes from freezing.
- Leave a steady trickle running in at least one of your faucets, especially overnight. The constant stream of running water will prevent the pipes from freezing.
- Leave under-sink cabinet doors open. This allows the heated air from the rest of your home’s interior to get as close to the pipes as possible.
- Maintain a steady temperature, at least 55 degrees F. Drastically dropping the temperature in your home between overnight or while no one is home can leave your pipes more prone to freezing.
At Norhio Plumbing, we service, repair, and install just about any plumbing fixture or system you can think of. So if you’re wondering whether your plumbing pipes are equipped to handle the frigid temps to come, or should you find yourself with a frozen pipe this winter, count on us to restore order, comfort, and convenience in a jiffy.
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