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Oct 17, 2017|Faucet Repairs, Faucets, Floods, Garbage Disposal, Insulation, Leak Detection, Leaky Pipes

Preparing Your Plumbing for the Winter

Ever noticed how plumbing emergencies seem to happen at the most inconvenient times? For example, the garbage disposal will call it quits on Thanksgiving when you’re throwing a dinner for twenty people. Or, the basement will flood when you’re out-of-town. Sometimes, the “timing” of such emergencies is not coincidental – it happens because certain seasons or seasonal events tend to put additional stress on your indoor plumbing system.

Between seasonal shifts and holiday festivities, these factors can put your plumbing to the ultimate test. To protect your pipes during the cold winter months, follow these tips:

  1. Prevent freezing by insulating pipes. When the air outside drops below freezing, the water inside your pipes can freeze and the pipes can burst. If you’re not home when a pipe bursts, the damage can be disastrous. You could come back to a massive home flood, which can mean costly damage to your flooring, rugs, and beloved furnishings. To reduce the chances of freeze breaks, invest in some affordable insulation for your pipes. If you’re not a DIY-type person, you can hire a professional plumber to handle it for you.
  2. Tackle those plumbing leaks. Have you had a plumbing leak in the bathroom or kitchen for a long time? Now’s the time to go through your home and fix all plumbing leaks. If you have a leaky faucet, contact a plumber right away to get your pipes back in great shape.
  3. Fix any garbage disposal problems. Broken garbage disposals are a real pain. You have to put all the food on dirty dishes in the trash can, and it can get stinky! If your garbage disposal needs to be repaired or replaced, it’s best to do it before the holidays set in, especially if you plan on entertaining!
  4. Put the garden hose away. Now that it’s the fall, you shouldn’t be using your garden hose to water the grass. To avoid frozen pipes, disconnect the hose, wrap it up and pack it away until the warmer weather returns. If you leave the hose connected outside during freezing temperatures, the water inside the hose can freeze and expand. In effect, your faucets can be frozen as well as the connecting pipes. To avoid costly repair bills, put the hose away for now.

To winterize your plumbing, contact Excalibur Plumbing today!

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