Winter is coming, which means colder temperatures and the possibility of cracks in your home's plumbing system due to water expanding and contracting. If you've ever had the unfortunate experience of trying to manage a water leak in the middle of winter, you know how much of a headache those situations can be. Below are a few ways that you can help your home get ready for the winter months. If you need help with any of them, contact a plumber to schedule plumbing services as soon as possible.
Wrap Your Exposed Pipes
Even if you have the thermostat in your home set to a comfortable temperature, any kind of exposed pipes that are located in your attic or in your basement are subject to falling below freezing. If this happens, the entire pipe could snap in half, spitting water throughout your house and causing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars worth of water damage. A quick and inexpensive way to prevent this is by wrapping your exposed pipes with either extra insulation or heat tape. It's a pretty simple job to do but one that can pay off dividends this winter.
Clog the Cracks
If you value your home's energy efficiency, you've most likely taken the step of repairing any kind of cracks that exist between your windows and your doors that can allow air to pass through. One area that you might not have thought about, however, is the area directly around the holes in your wall where the pipes travel. Even 1/4 inch separation between the pipes in the sheetrock can cause air to pass through and freeze the pipes, so clog it up with extra insulation to prevent that from happening.
Cover Your Faucets
For less than a few bucks, you can snag a few covers from your local hardware store to cover up your faucets for the next few months. You may not realize it, but these faucets can freeze and cause the pipes that run just inside your house to leak, causing water damage to build up over time. Even if you leave it dripping throughout the winter, it could still get cold enough to freeze your water in between the drips. The best course of action is to simply cover up the pipes since you most likely won't use them anyway.
Fix Your Leaks
Although you should've had the water leaks in your home fixed as soon as they appear, now is the time to get those leaks fixed before they can cause major issues. Once the temperatures drop, those leaks will only get bigger and may cause a pipe to burst entirely, so contact a plumber and inquire about the plumbing services while you still have an opportunity to fix them.
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