New Homeowner? 4 Tips To Get Your Plumbing Ready For The Cold Weather

If this is your first winter to own a home, you may not be prepared for what happens if you do not properly get your plumbing ready for the cold temperatures of the winter season. A frozen or burst pipe is one of the last things that you want to deal with, as they can do a lot of damage and be very costly to repair. So, to help ensure that you don't to deal with that, here are a few things that you can do to ensure your home's plumbing system is ready-to-go before the temperatures dip too low:

Tip #1: Winterize Your Outside Faucets.

You are going to have at least one faucet outside of your house that is completely exposed to the weather elements. Therefore, it needs to be protected. Before the temperatures get too cold, you need to disconnect all of your water hoses and drain them completely. You also need to shut off the water to any of your outdoor faucets. This will prevent any damage once winter arrives.

Tip #2: Insulate Your Exposed Pipes.

Frozen pipes are the most common reason emergency plumbing repairs are needed during the winter months. You can prevent this in your household by locating any exposed pipes, particularly in areas of your home that are unheated, and insulating them. The most common area that you will want to check is the basement or crawlspace. Any pipes that you find that are exposed should be covered with foam sleeves, insulation, heat tape or newspaper in order to prevent the pipes from freezing.

Tip #3: Inspect Your Heating System.

While your furnace is not specifically a part of your home's plumbing system, it can be directly related to your pipes freezing and/or bursting if the furnace stops working and the temperature inside your home drops. Therefore, as you are preparing your plumbing for winter, make sure that your heating system is up to par.

Tip #4: Prepare for Winter Vacation.

It is not at all uncommon to take a vacation during winter break. It is also not uncommon to come home to a burst pipe. To ensure that this doesn't happen to you, you have a couple of options. You can either choose to turn the water off to your house and drain the pipes of water while you are gone, or you can leave your water on and simply ensure your thermostat is set to a temperature that is high enough to prevent your pipes from freezing. 

For more information, contact a business such as Marv's Plumbing.