Winters are no joke in Missouri, with temperatures dropping to frigid temperatures. So the question we have for you is, do you know how to prep your plumbing for the change in the weather? Sure, summer’s not even officially over quite yet, but when temperatures turn they do so quickly, and you’ll be grateful for taking precautionary steps with your plumbing.
The thing is, it’s very easy for your pipes to freeze in cold weather. Frozen pipes lead to burst pipes. Our team is here to help with any plumbing repair needs you have, even emergencies, but we’d like to help you avoid problems to begin with, if at all possible! One way we can do that is by alerting you to winter problems and how you can prevent cold weather from impacting your plumbing this year. Read on!
Keep Your Garage Door Closed and Indoor Cabinets Open
It’s important to keep everything tightly sealed within your home when cold winter weather hits. This includes closing your garage door during the winter, and keeping it closed as much as possible. This will keep the water supply lines in your garage flowing.
On that note, you should keep your kitchen and bathroom cabinets cracked open, to expose your under-sink pipes. The reason we recommend this is so the heat from your heating system can reach them and they’ll be less susceptible to freezing.
Insulate Exposed Pipes
We’re talking about pipes you have under the sink, as well as in an unfinished basement. You can buy pipe insulating sleeves at any home improvement store. You can also substitute these sleeves with towels if you prefer. The idea is to keep the pipes as warm as possible.
Drain Outdoor Faucets and Hoses
Also, keep your faucets open. This way any water that flows through can do so freely, and you don’t have to worry about water backing up and freezing within the pipes.
Let Water Run
We don’t mean 24/7 necessarily, nor do we mean turn faucets on all the way. But if you have something like a garage sink without a shut-off valve, on exceptionally cold days or evenings you may want to let a small trickle continually go through to prevent pipe freeze.
Keep the Heat On
Be sure to keep your heater running in the wintertime. We understand you may want to turn it off during parts of the day where you leave your home, but your plumbing may pay for this. Even if you set the thermostat at a lower temperature, this will still help circulate warmth throughout your home and make your pipes less susceptible to freezing.
What If My Pipes Freeze Anyway?
This is a good question! You may take precautionary steps only to have your pipes freeze anyway. What we want to make sure you don’t do is try to thaw them on your own. This can result in the burst pipes we mentioned above, since the thawing process causes a pressure change in the plumbing system. This is not only an inconvenient and potentially damaging problem for your home, but it can also cause injury.
Performance Plumbing is your trusted resource for plumbing in Creve Coeur, MO. Contact us today!