During the colder weather, your plumbing system is put into use more. That means that there is in an increase in problems that may occur. Here are just a couple tips to help you avoid problems during the cold winter months when it comes to your plumbing systems.
-Some homes have quite a bit of household plumbing that’s outside, which makes it much more vulnerable to freezing temperatures. In many cases freezing outdoor plumbing systems can actually affect indoor plumbing systems as well. Here are a couple of examples:
-Garden hoses that have been left outside may still have small amounts of moisture in their interior due to recent use. Hoses with nozzles at one end that connect to open faucets are particularly hazardous to your plumbing. This is caused by ice formation in the hose because it may seep into the home’s water supply and damage pipes. It is always in your best interest to drain and disconnect the garden hose during the winter months.
-If your outdoor faucets have any indoor shut-off valves in the basement, crawl space or anywhere else, turn off the water to the faucet during freezing conditions. You should also open the outdoor faucet to drain any residual water that may be left out of the line.
-Check the owner’s manual for your home sprinkler system, and follow the procedures to winter-proof the sprinkler pipes and protect them from freeze damage. If you cannot figure this out yourself, you can always call a plumber or local sprinkler company to get the job done for you!
-If you have a sump pump in your basement to prevent flooding, keep an eye on the sump pump outlet pipe, which is usually located somewhere underneath the house. Always make sure to check that the pump has not frozen over, and that there is not snow covering it. If the pump should activate when the outlet is blocked, water flow may reverse into the basement causing flood damage.
-Other outdoor water lines that may freeze include pipes that lead to a swimming pool, fountain or garden pond. The general plumbing maintenance rule is to shut off water to these pipes at the source, then drain the lines so that no residual water freezes inside of them.
These are just a couple tips to keep your plumbing systems in good working order, if any major problems should occur then you should always call your local plumbing company.