This article provides some helpful winter plumbing tips to ensure the integrity of your home’s plumbing system during these cold months.
The winter season can be an overwhelming time for home maintenance. Between fixing your roof and shoveling your driveway, you might fail to realize that there are underlying problems with your plumbing that have worsened with the winter months. This article provides some helpful winter plumbing tips to ensure the integrity of your home’s plumbing system during these cold months.
Pipe Insulation
Now it’s an ideal time to seek exposed pipes within your home. If anyone you know has a history of freezing, please prioritize those. You may prevent freezing pipes by covering them with pipe sleeves or heat tape. Have you ever experienced winter plumbing issues and are still determining what lines to treat? The truth is that you will need to monitor specific areas of your home, such as the attic, garage, crawl spaces, basement, and even beneath the sink.
Clean Gutters
Buildup in your home’s gutters may lead to freezing or ice dams. If you are lucky, you can skate by, but it’s not uncommon for this to trigger water damage to your property. This is why we recommend gutter cleaning as part of your winter plumbing maintenance routine.
Faucet Dripping
If you end up experiencing a severe cold, you should get creative. If you know you will experience consistent freezing temperatures, you can turn on your faucets to slowly drip. You may do this with several faucets or one, but if you are only doing one faucet, please select the one furthest from your water meter. This will keep water flowing through your pipes, stopping them from freezing through.
Heat It!
Even though most of us do not like wasting energy, turning off your heat when you are away from home and it’s freezing outside can cause bursting pipes. In addition, attempt to keep your home at 5 degrees at all times, even if you go on vacation.
Moreover, hot showers are a necessity during the winter. That is why you mustn’t keep your water heater. So, be sure to call a professional plumber to help flush the tank and inspect any issues that could leave you with a broken-down water heater.
Get in Touch With B&D Today!
Dealing with any plumbing concerns that require a professional to step in? Struggling with an absolute plumbing emergency that can’t wait? Let B&D Plumbing know. B&D Plumbing Inc. services the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area, including Maryland and Northern Virginia. Get in touch with us by calling (301) 595-1141 or follow us on social media including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. As a small, family-owned business, we understand how important your home is—and we offer exceptional service that matches!