Winter plumbing tips for homeowners

We are always going to have plumbing issues but did you notice that it always gets worse during the wintertime? The cold weather really affects the plumbing in the home causing everything from frozen pipes to water leaks. With a rise in problems during the winter, it’s always good to be prepared. Below we have a few prevention tips to protect your home.

Frozen Pipes – The most frequent calls we get during the wintertime are for frozen pipes. Water is running through the plumbing system and if it isn’t at a certain temperature the water will freeze. Usually, this isn’t a problem as your home is warm enough to heat the water. But some pipes are at risk because of where they are located.

How to prevent this? Having your water running even a little trickle can help prevent that from happening. But if you don’t want to waste your money on a water bill there are a few other things that you can try. Keeping your home temperature at a constant ensures that your pipes don’t have to deal with the frigid air. Or you could add insulation to the pipes most at risk so it retains the heat.
How do you know if you have this problem? It’s easy to figure out whether your plumbing system has frozen pipes. All you have to do is open your tap. If the taps are opened fully but only a little water trickles out it’s likely that your pipes have frozen. We suggest immediately calling for a plumber so we can find the affected pipe and fix it.

Clogged Drain – Believe it or not, it’s easier to get a clogged drain during the wintertime. With so many people visiting your home, more food scraps and gunk could be pushed down the drain causing a clog to occur.

How to prevent this? Instead of helping cause a buildup by putting everything down the disposal make sure to properly get rid of your waste. Having regular drain cleanings can also help keep your system working properly during the wintertime. This gets rid of the buildup before it becomes a problem.
How do you know if you have this problem? If it takes the longest for the water to leave your sink or toilet you may have a clogged drain. Other signs include foul odors being emitted from these places, water backing up to these items, and gurgling sounds when the sinks or toilets are used.

Basement Leaks – You’ll notice that your basement gets damper during this season. This is in large part due to the melted snow. It is following gravity to go downwards and through leaks in your walls and floor ends up in your basement causing water damage. When water stays too long it can weaken the foundation of the home and cause mold to occur.

How do I prevent this? You want to make sure that water doesn’t make its way into the basement in the first place. So make sure your lawn isn’t sloping towards the area. If it is, reroute the water path with drains or make sure water doesn’t reach underground easily with some mulch. You could also get our plumbers to install a sump pump, a backwater valve, or just waterproof your basement to avoid problems.
How do I know if I have this problem? Sometimes it isn’t easy to notice a wet basement. The water may not be of high volume to cause a disturbance. But water seeping through can affect the basement over time. Some ways you can tell if your basement has leaks is if you find mold, chalky while deposit on tiles, rotting wood, rust stain, etc.

Water Heater Problems – During the wintertime water heaters work hard to keep your water at an acceptable temperature. But these devices can only last 10 years before they need to be replaced. If you keep a water heater for too long it can struggle to keep up with demands. Since they strain more during the winter season there is a higher chance it’ll burst during this time.

How do I prevent this? If you want to make sure your water heater doesn’t burst, make sure that it’s working properly. Examine the water pressure valve. This is an important safety feature that should be used if you think the pipe will burst. Another thing you can do is keep the heater temperature at a constant of 50 degrees Celsius. This will ensure that the internal heat is at an acceptable level. Yearly cleanings of the heater reduce the chase of a burst as well. But if you had the heater for too long we suggest replacing it.
How do I know if I have this problem? If you notice that your water pressure valve isn’t working properly then you know that the pressure isn’t being regulated and there is a higher chance of bursting. You can also tell if you notice a foul odor from the heater. This could be due to a gas leak and could cause an explosion.

With these plumbing tips, you’re sure to avoid some common plumbing problems during the wintertime. But if you do end up with plumbing issues, call our company. We’ll send you plumbers ASAP. Choose us for our first-hand experience and low costs.

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