If you have an outdoor faucet, it’s important to winterize them! Otherwise, they may freeze, break, or even burst your pipes! If you want to avoid burst or frozen pipes, follow these steps:
Shut The Water Supply To The Outdoor Faucet
There should be a valve on the water pipe that leads to your outdoor hose bib.
Disconnect And Put Away Your Hose
Lots of people skip this step, but I wouldn’t recommend skipping it. The right thing to do is disconnect the hose, drain it, roll it, and store it.
Open The Faucet Outside
If water remains in the faucet and pipe, there’s a good chance the water will freeze. If the water freezes, it will expand. With nowhere to go, the expanding and freezing water will pressure your pipes which can lead to leaks or bursting. To avoid this, open the faucet and drain it.
Cover The Outdoor Faucet
You can buy an insulated outdoor faucet at most hardware stores. They’re inexpensive and easy to install.
Ensure Your Basement Blocked Out The Cold
If your basement isn’t a frequent stop for you, the chill it can harbor might go unnoticed. Many homeowners face issues like cracked windows that let in cold air, and if the temperature drops too low, your basement can freeze.
To check for drafts, light an incense stick and move slowly around the basement’s perimeter; if the smoke shifts suddenly or gets pulled in, a draft is present. Completely seal any drafts you find.
Furthermore, if you find your basement becoming dangerously cold, it’s important to safeguard your plumbing.
- Leave faucets open to allow a steady trickle of water, as moving water is less likely to freeze.
- Consider placing a space heater in particularly cold spots, increasing your furnace’s temperature, and using fans to circulate warm air throughout your home.
- If freezing pipes are a concern, quickly provide heat with hair dryers or heated blankets, and
- always be ready to turn off your water if pipes burst.
Call us Today!
Doug the Plumber
Call a Plumber When Your Pipes Are Frozen
If you’ve got frozen pipes, shut off your water and call a plumber!
Frozen pipes are not to be taken lightly. A burst pipe can cause thousands of dollars in damage.
Make sure that you’ve got a trusted plumber ready to give you fast, emergency plumbing service. When you need a plumber you can count on for fast, friendly plumbing services, you know who to call!