5 Winter Plumbing Tips

The summer heat is gone- finally! Yet, you can’t relax when it comes to home repair even in the cooler months. With winter weather comes frigid temperatures and ice, which can lead to a variety of potential household plumbing problems. There are some things you can do to prevent or at least minimize these plumbing mishaps. Below is a list of tips to keep in mind:

#1 Maintain running water. When the temperatures dip, your pipes can freeze and burst. It is a good idea to run water from every valve throughout your house regularly to prevent them from freezing.

#2 Be careful with holiday cooking.  Winter means more than just cold weather, it means the Holidays too- which means a lot of cooking! Do not put cooking grease and oils down your kitchen sink drain. Any type of grease and oil is more likely to collect and clog when your pipes are colder. Also, try to not put hard to grind objects or stringy substances down into the disposal, like eggs. Rice is also something to avoid washing down the drain, as it will expand inside of the drain creating a blockage. Always run cold water through the disposal for at least 15 seconds before and after each use and be sure to turn on the disposal before filling it with food debris.

#3 Avoid all showering at once. The Holidays often mean extra guests around your home. At the very least it means more getting ready more often than normal as you head to parties, church, and other festive events. When everyone needs to bathe, spread out the showers throughout the day. At least 10 minute intervals between showers is optimal to maintain hot water and to allow the proper recovery time for a tank type water heater. Otherwise, you run the real risk of running out of hot water, overworking your unit, and possibly needing a hot water heater repair in Birmingham.

#4 Insulate your pipes. Insulating your pipes is a great way to keep them warm and avoid freezing or bursting. You can use foam sleeves or special insulating tape to guard your hot and cold water pipes against freezing. Throughout the winter, check and ensure no ice or frost is accumulating or cracks developing. Hot water heaters Birmingham can benefit from being wrapped and insulated as well.

#5 Remove any outdoor spigots and hoses. Before freezing temperatures arrive, make sure to unattach your garden hoses. Drain any residual water from spigots and hoses. Roll them up and store them somewhere warm, like the garage, until spring.

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Created on Dec 20th 2019 04:19. Viewed 427 times.

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