Plumbing Maintenance: How To Prepare Your Plumbing System For The Winter: Tips From A Plumber Near Me | Bullhead City, AZ
Weather changes, including humidity and temperature, can significantly impact the performance of your plumbing system and even malfunction if not handled appropriately. Thus, when winter is around the corner, it’s crucial that your plumbing is all set for the cold season. Remember, plumbing systems are vulnerable to problems, no matter how well your plumber laid the pipework the first time.
How can you prep your plumbing unit for the cold weather? Here is a plumber near me maintenance checklist of tasks you can perform before the upcoming winter.
Repair Dripping Outdoor Spigots
A leaky outdoor faucet can cause many issues. Besides driving up your water bill, dripping faucets result in water damage and harm your plumbing system during a freeze. For this reason, you want to get a plumber near me to fix any leaks during the fall when the weather is a bit lenient.
Cover Your Outside Faucets
It might seem too early to start covering outside faucets. But it’s a vital fall maintenance tip. When you’re over with watering for the season, it’s best to cover or insulate your taps.
However, before visiting any hardware or home improvement store, please consult a professional plumber near me for guidance on which faucet covers to buy. The plumber can also help you accomplish this project promptly and effectively.
Interior Shut-Off
In some homes, the interior shut-off valve is connected to the outdoor plumbing. If that’s your case, you should shut off the water simultaneously as you cover your outdoor faucets.
Drain the Water Heater
Since you rely more on your water heater during fall and winter, maintenance is paramount. Generally, it’s recommended to drain your storage tank every three months to ensure it functions optimally.
Draining helps remove sediment buildup in the tank, which might impede heat transfer and compromise the system’s performance. Consider contacting your plumber for the periodic water heater flushes to ensure it’s done safely.
Clean the Gutters
Gutters are essential in ensuring rainwater doesn’t get into your living space. Heavy downpours are inevitable in the fall. As a result, debris, such as twigs and dry leaves, can accumulate in your rain gutters.
Standing water due to clogged gutters can leak into your roof and walls, causing structural damage over time. Plus, it can be a health hazard as it may lead to mold growth. Thus, you must hire a reliable plumber near me to assist you in cleaning out the gutters after every reason to free them from blockage.
Seal Gaps
Want to cut down on your utility bills in the winter? Have a plumber near me come in and inspect all places where pipes enter your house and seal any openings or gaps with weatherstripping. Gaps in the walls can cause the heat produced indoors to escape to the outside, and this could raise your utility bills a great deal.
Insulate Your Pipes
If you’ve been experiencing frozen pipes before, consider investing in electrical heat tape or fiberglass insulation for your water pipes. It would help if you had foam insulation added to the outdoor piping to protect it from freezing temperatures. Hiring a plumber for pipe insulation is a good idea because it will help you lower your energy use for heating your water.
Insulate Your Water Heater Tank
Adding insulation to an old water tank can also help reduce heat loss and prevent the unit from turning on continuously. Having a plumber near me install insulation sleeves on your tank water heater will allow you to lower your water heating temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit without compromising your comfort.
Insulating the water heater and your plumbing pipes will save you money in the long run. If you’ve got any exposed cold and hot water pipes connected to the tank, let your hired plumber near me also insulate them.
Interior Shut-Off
In some homes, the interior shut-off valve is connected to the outdoor plumbing. If that’s your case, you should shut off the water simultaneously as you cover your outdoor faucets.
Garage Plumbing
Some homeowners may have a connected garage that includes their dryer/washer or water heater. Kindly ensure you find a trained plumber near me to have any exposed piping insulated before the cold weather sets in.
Don’t Forget Your Water Hoses
It’s wise to disconnect your garden hoses and drain them of residual water once you’re done with outdoor watering for the season. Again, ensure you store them in a dry and safe place free from the elements.
Stay Clear of Winter Plumbing Woes with Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Mohave County
All may look fine with your plumbing until you start experiencing problems. But with the above winter plumbing maintenance practices, you can avoid plumbing dilemmas and property loss because of water damage. Do you have any plumbing problems that need to be fixed before winter? Or do you need an inspection, for that matter?
Reach out to the plumbing experts at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Mohave County. We understand that outdoor plumbing fixtures demand more care than their indoor counterparts. Thus, you can rely on us for high-quality parts and materials.
We offer a broad scope of services, from water softening and purification to bathroom and kitchen remodels, sump pump installation and repairs, water leak detection, non-invasive pipe repair, and water heater installation and maintenance. Feel free to contact us today by calling or through the contact form on our website.
To It Wrap Up!
Being proactive in maintaining your plumbing system is critical to ensure everything in the home runs efficiently. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Hence, working with a trustworthy plumber near me will enable you to prep your plumbing for the winter as required. This will, in turn, save you headaches and expensive plumbing emergencies.
Call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Mohave County for professional help.
See our previous blog on this topic here.
