How to Protect the Plumbing From Cold Weather

Tips to Prepare the Home for Winter

Winter weather requires some preparations if homeowners want to make it through the colder months without problems. When temperatures drop, the demands placed on the home can cause problems, especially if the home isn’t prepared. Luckily, owners can avoid the worst consequences by taking some time in the fall to prepare things for winter. 

Preparing the home to withstand the challenges that winter poses to plumbing is essential. Taking proactive steps can prevent costly damage and keep the home warm and safe throughout the season. Key areas to focus on include protecting the plumbing from freezing, using internal heat effectively, and securing outdoor plumbing fixtures. 

Install Pipe Insulation 

The first step in preparing the home’s plumbing for winter is to locate pipes vulnerable to freezing. When water freezes inside pipes, it expands and causes them to burst. The resulting floods can devastate the home when the pipes thaw, so homeowners should take action to prevent this. 

Special pipe insulation is available at the local hardware store to keep pipes insulated from frosty air. This valuable material is cheap and easy to install in attics, crawl spaces, or unfinished basements, where it seals pipes from infiltrating air. If homeowners need help locating vulnerable plumbing or wish to have a professional install pipe insulation, they must call local experts for this valuable protection. 

Open Cabinets and Warm up the House

In a home built to building codes, the insulation in the walls should be adequate to protect the pipes routed through exterior walls. Unfortunately, in older homes with poor insulation or newer homes built by unscrupulous crews, the insulation in the walls may be inadequate to keep pipes from freezing. Its effect can be found in sinks with plumbing in exterior walls.

To give them a fighting chance during the winter, open a cabinet where warm air can circulate into the space near the plumbing. Fans and space heaters can heat these areas directly if necessary, but often, raising the thermostat only a degree or two is enough to keep the piping warm. 

Winterize Hoses and Outdoor Plumbing

The final step in the plumbing winterization checklist is the easiest. During the final weeks of the fall, all hoses should be properly disconnected and stored, and outdoor plumbing fixtures should be drained. This includes garden hoses, irrigation systems, and outdoor kitchens. Disconnect and drain garden hoses and store them in a shed or garage. Shut off water service to other plumbing fixtures and drain residual water. Doing so will prevent hoses from bursting and cold air from conducting backward into piping in the home and freezing interior pipes. 

About Marc Francis Plumbing

Marc Francis Plumbing offers friendly service and fast turnarounds for plumbing repairs and installations. Their licensed teams excel at providing the highest levels of service to homes and businesses. Call today for expert plumbing service in Johnson City, TN. 

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