No one wants to have to deal with frozen pipes during the winter. Protect every pipe in your home with these basic tips.
If you haven’t stuck your nose outside lately, you may not realize that it has been getting pretty cold, especially at night. And this makes sense since the first day of winter is finally upon us. And for your pipes, that means that the biggest threat to them is also here: the possibility of bursting. A burst pipe can be a plumbing emergency in any house, so here are some tips for staying a step ahead of the cold and keeping your pipes safe.
Why Do They Burst?
Water expands when it freezes, and when this happens inside a pipe, the ice pushes outwards agains the sides of the pipe. The force of this is so great that it can crack the pipe, even pipes made of plastic or metal. Any pipes that are exposed to subzero temperatures can be at risk of freezing, including pipes in uninsulated attics or crawlspaces, against outside walls, or pipes that run outside. And remember that the pipe doesn’t have to be old or show signs of needing repair to burst.
Things To Do Inside
The biggest thing you can do is add insulation to any of those uninsulated areas we talked about: the attic, the crawl spaces, and so on. This will help keep the pipes that run through those areas a little warmer. Next, don’t let your home temperature drop below 55 degrees. It’s tempting to turn the thermostat down and bundle up to save on heating costs, but think of your pipes. While the interior areas may seem livable at that temperature, the areas where the pipes are can get much colder. If you have water supply lines in the garage, keep the door closed, and repair any drafty doors or windows around the house where cold air is leaking in. Finally, for extreme cold snaps, let the kitchen and bathroom faucets drip ever so slightly so the water is constantly moving through them.
Things To Do Outside
First, remove and hoses from outdoor spigots so you don’t trap water in them. Next, find all of the outside faucets and supply lines and turn the water to them off. Next, bleed all outdoor lines by opening the outdoor faucets and letting the remaining water flow out. Finally, go back to the shutoff valve and remove the bleeder cap and empty what remains into a bucket, then replace the cap and close all the outdoor faucets.
Call Mahon Plumbing Today
If you’re ready to see how an upgrade can help your home, the experts at Mahon plumbing are here to help. Mahon Plumbing has been serving the Baltimore region’s plumbing needs since 1994. We’re ready to offer quality plumbing services and gas installation for both commercial and residential uses. Our tracks and employees are ready to handle the toughest of jobs.
For more information, follow our blog or check us out on Facebook or Twitter. We’re able to offer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week emergency services. Please contact our Baltimore location at 410-766-8566 and our Pasadena location at 410-636-7944 if you have any questions or are in need of emergency services.