5 Plumbing Tips for Avoiding Cold Weather Catastrophes

The cold weather can play havoc with several systems in your home, especially your plumbing. If you live in an area where winter temperatures can get below freezing (or even below zero), then you need to take the necessary steps to protect your plumbing and avoid cold weather catastrophes altogether.

Protect External Lines Before Winter Sets In
If you have a pool or sprinkler system in your yard, then the thought of your water supply lines bursting during the winter can make you cringe. Each pool and sprinkler system comes with a set of instructions on draining excess water to prepare those systems for winter. Be sure to drain your feed lines for your pool and sprinkler systems to prevent a mess when spring arrives.

Thermostat Settings When On Vacation
One plumbing tip that many people ignore is how to set their home thermostat to protect their pipes when they go away on vacation in the winter. You should set your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees to make sure that there is enough heat to prevent ice in your pipes.

Wrap Your Pipes With Insulation
If you have pipes in areas that are not heated by your furnace, then those pipes must be insulated to prevent a disaster. There are special fitted pieces of insulation you can use that will wrap around your pipes perfectly and create a protective layer against the cold. Other options include wrapping your pipes in heating tape or a heating coil that is powered by electricity to prevent the ice from settling in.

Thaw Pipes Slowly
A common reaction to frozen pipes is to bring out the blowtorch and start thawing the ice before the pipes burst. The problem with this approach is that it can damage the pipes and create even more problems that could be very expensive to fix. A good tip for thawing pipes is to wrap them in warm towels or thaw them using a hair dryer set at a warm, not hot, setting.

Seal Basement Air Leaks
If you do not spend a lot of time in your basement, then you may not be aware of all of the air leaks that allow cold air to get in and freeze your pipes. Even if you have pipes near the furnace, an air leak through a basement window could freeze a pipe and cause a lot of damage. Go through your basement to seal the windows and make sure that the cold air cannot get in and create a plumbing catastrophe.

At 24Hourly.com, we can help you to find an emergency plumber who can take care of all of your frozen pipe issues quickly. You can use our online resources to find the plumber closest to you, or give us a call at (888) 513-7788 and one of our experts will get a plumber for you in a hurry. Don’t let winter destroy your plumbing and ruin your home. Give 24Hourly.com a call and let us get you the emergency plumbing help you need right now.

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