The author is making several good pointers relating to How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in general in this article just below.
All homeowners who live in warm climates should do their ideal to winterize their pipes. Failing to do so can mean calamity like frozen, broken, or ruptured pipelines.
Activate the Faucets
When the temperature level drops and also it appears as if the icy temperature will last, it will certainly help to activate your water both inside as well as outdoors. This will keep the water flowing via your plumbing systems. Additionally, the motion will certainly reduce the freezing process. Especially, there's no demand to turn it on full force. You'll end up losing gallons of water in this manner. Rather, go for concerning 5 drops per min.
Open Up Cabinet Doors Hiding Plumbing
When it's cold outside, it would certainly be helpful to open up closet doors that are masking your pipelines. Doing this small technique can keep your pipes cozy and also restrict the potentially hazardous results of freezing temperature levels.
Take Some Time to Wrap Exposed Pipes
One awesome and very easy hack to heat up icy pipes is to cover them with warm towels. You can additionally utilize pre-soaked towels in warm water, just do not fail to remember to wear safety gloves to guard your hands from the warmth.
Attempt a Hair Clothes Dryer or Heat Weapon
When your pipes are almost freezing, your dependable hair dryer or warmth gun is a blessing. If the hot towels do not aid remove any settling ice in your pipelines, bowling hot air directly right into them may assist. Do not use various other objects that create straight flames like a strike torch. This can lead to a larger disaster that you can not regulate. You might end up destructive your pipelines while trying to melt the ice. As well as in the long run, you might also wind up melting your house. So be cautious!
When Pipes are Frozen, close Off Water
Switch off the main water valve immediately if you discover that your pipelines are entirely icy or almost nearing that stage. You will typically discover this in your cellar or laundry room near the heater or the front wall closest to the street. Transform it off immediately to avoid additional damages.
Do not neglect to shut exterior water resources, also, such as your hookup for the garden house. Doing this will prevent additional water from filling up your plumbing system. With even more water, even more ice will pile up, which will eventually lead to break pipelines. If you are not sure regarding the state of your pipes this winter, it is best to call a professional plumber for an inspection. Taking this aggressive technique can save you hundreds of bucks in repairs.
All homeowners who live in pleasant environments need to do their finest to winterize their pipes. Failing to do so can mean disaster like icy, fractured, or burst pipes. If the warm towels do not assist dislodge any type of clearing up ice in your pipelines, bowling hot air straight into them may assist. Transform off the primary water shutoff quickly if you observe that your pipes are entirely frozen or practically nearing that phase. With more water, even more ice will certainly pile up, which will at some point lead to burst pipes.
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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