It’s getting colder in the mornings, the days are becoming a little shorter and the nights a little longer. Summer is fleeting and fall will soon be here.
Mother Nature has her ways to prepare for the coming frosty chill of winter. Animals build up fat reserves for hibernation, trees begin to loose their leaves and soon snow will be dotting the high mountains.
Every homeowner should take note and spend a few minutes preparing for winter’s inevitable onslaught. A sub-zero day is no time to find out the 15-year-old water heater needs replaced or that pipe under the kitchen sink needs repairs.
With more than 40 years of experience Certified Plumbing Company’s plumbers have tackled every job imaginable. All too often though, the repair crews are dispatched to what could have easily been prevented with a little winterizing.
Here are some helpful preparation tips:
Disconnect outside water hoses: A flooded basement caused by a leaking outside faucet is no fun. Homeowners often forget to detach outside watering hoses and evaporative cooler connections in advance of winter. When temperatures dip, the water expands and pipes and outside hose connections can crack.
Seal off drafts: Break out the caulking gun and seal those pesky drafts that can put the freeze into your pipes. This may require crawling under the house, climbing into the attic and under the kitchen sink. Any pin hole size penetration of air can cause a frozen pipe so make sure there aren’t any holes coming into the foundation of your home.
Wrap pipes: Pipes, even in well insulated homes, can freeze. Hot and cold water pipes running through crawl spaces, under kitchen and bathroom sinks or anywhere the temperature could dip below 32 degrees should be wrapped with proper insulation.
Inspect and flush water heater: The professionals at Certified Plumbing Company offer customers Bradford White water heaters, which are ranked number one by J.D. Powers and Associates.
Following these common sense winter tips should ensure any home’s plumbing survives the winter. But in the event a situation does arise Certified Plumbing Company will always help you with your plumbing needs.
