In fall, temperatures drop and winter will be here in a few short weeks. You could risk water damage and costly repairs during the winter months if you do not protect your home’s pipes, water heater, sump pump, outdoor faucets, hoses, sewer line, and other parts of the home’s plumbing now.
When winter hits, a lack of fall plumbing maintenance could result in frozen pipes, burst pipes, damaged outside faucets, leaks, and more if you have water freezing in parts of your plumbing system. Because freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on the home plumbing system, prepare now by putting our fall plumbing maintenance tips on your seasonal to-do list.
Thomas & Galbraith explains how homeowners should ready the house for winter with our fall plumbing tips. Follow our plumbing tips this fall to avoid a winter plumbing problem that will disrupt your holiday season, and feel free to call us if you have a plumbing maintenance or repair issue you need help with now. Our fall plumbing maintenance tips include:
Outside the warm house, exterior plumbing fixtures like garden hoses and outdoor faucets are prone to damage from freezing water if not correctly winterized. Perform these maintenance tips before the first freeze of the fall or winter months to keep hoses and outdoor faucets functioning properly next year.
Avoid a frozen hose and damage to outdoor faucets with these fall plumbing tips:
When temperatures drop, water can freeze in outdoor faucets and the interior pipes that supply them, which may cause a pipe burst or damage the faucet itself. Avoid this plumbing problem with these plumbing tips for your to-do list:
Homeowners often experience frozen pipes during periods of freezing temperatures – especially if the home’s pipes are not properly insulated. When plumbing pipes are not properly insulated, pipes in unheated areas are the most vulnerable to freezing. If there is water freezing in the pipe, you could experience a pipe burst, and burst pipes are a leading cause of leaks and water damage over the winter months.
Prevent burst pipes when winter hits by taking time in the fall to make sure they are properly insulated. Insulate the home’s pipes that sit in unheated areas or where their surrounding areas are drafty, such as:
This fall, insulate the home’s pipes in the aforementioned areas to help them better retain heat and avoid freezing. Fiberglass or foam pipe insulation sleeves can be purchased and applied to home plumbing pipes as a step to our fall plumbing tips. Insulate both hot and cold plumbing pipes to best safeguard your house against burst pipes, leaks, and water damage this winter. You can also apply heat tape to warm the home’s plumbing pipes.
Melting snow late in the winter is known to cause flooding issues in basements and crawlspaces as the groundwater levels rise, causing costly water damage. Before winter hits and temperatures drop, prepare the sump pump of your plumbing system with these fall plumbing maintenance tips so it can keep your house dry.
Ask Cincinnati area homeowners and they’ll tell you just how important the water heater is to the home’s plumbing system. Without some fall plumbing maintenance, the water heater may not efficiently provide warm water for the household. Take time to have the water heater inspected and use these fall plumbing tips to help your water heater run more efficiently.
Have your water heater inspected by a professional plumber each fall. Your plumber will inspect this important plumbing system appliance and make sure all components are functioning properly without leaks while the water heater supplies warm water at maximum energy efficiency. Feel free to ask questions during this visit.
Follow these plumbing tips to remove sediment buildup and debris from your tank water heater. Only perform this plumbing maintenance if your water heater tank is new or has been regularly maintained. Otherwise, washing sediment buildup out of the water heater could expose leaks that cause water damage and create the need to have a brand-new water heater installed.
If the home’s gutters are not functioning properly, you could experience some issues with the home plumbing this winter holiday season. Gutters should drain all water away from the house and the immediate surrounding areas. If gutters have standing water or are clogged by debris, they can contribute to flooding and water damage in your basement, wreak havoc on your roofline, and even cause heating problems – not to mention damage to the actual gutters.
Prepare the home’s gutters this fall to safeguard your home's plumbing once winter starts. Fall plumbing tips concerning gutters will help your sump pump work more efficiently and reduce the risk of water damage requiring a professional plumber to correct with a permanent solution.
Over the fall, feel free to perform a complete inspection of the home’s plumbing pipes, faucets, and other components. Check for issues such as leaks and foul odors and prepare a plan to address these home plumbing issues now with a professional plumber.
The fall plumbing tips detailed in this blog will help you prepare for winter and avoid issues with your sewer line, water heater, sump pump, pipes, and more. If a plumbing issue does wreak havoc on your household at any point this fall or winter season, whether temperatures are freezing yet or not, call Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling & Plumbing for quick, reliable service.