7 Tips to Avoid Costly Winter Plumbing Problems

Winter Plumbing - Frozen Pipe

7 Tips to Avoid Costly Winter Plumbing Problems

If you’ve ever experienced a Connecticut cold snap, you know how winter plumbing problems can take you by surprise. The water inside your pipes freezes and swells and your pipes often burst. It’s a common problem that causes missed morning showers, cooking inconveniences, and costly repairs.

You can’t avoid winter weather but these 7 winter plumbing tips can help you prevent costly repairs and keep your water flowing smoothly.

1. Locate vulnerable pipes

You must first locate the pipes most likely to freeze. You’ll find vulnerable water supply lines throughout your home. Look in the garage and under bathroom and kitchen cabinets. Check crawl spaces and water lines in uninsulated basements.

2. Insulate your pipes

Insulating pipe sleeves and protective insulation wraps prevent freezing, reduce energy and decrease heat loss. When you complete your winter plumbing insulation project, your time will be your biggest investment. You can view an easy DIY pipe insulation video on the Energy.gov website.

3. Drain your outdoor plumbing

The plumbing systems in your pool, spa, and sprinklers can cause freezing problems as well. You can’t heat the pipes, so you must drain all the water before the first freeze sets in.

4. Upgrade your home insulation

When you insulate your attic, basement, and crawl spaces you retain heat throughout your home. The added heat minimizes your winter plumbing freeze risk.

5. Keep your home warm

Keep your thermostat no lower than 55° even when you’re away. The extra money you spend on energy is a lot less than the cost to replace your pipes if they freeze and burst.

6. Open your cabinet doors

Kitchen and bathroom cabinets often run along cold outside walls. Closed cabinet doors keep cold air in and warm air out. When outside temperatures are excessively cold, keep your cabinet doors open so warm air can circulate.

7. Let your faucets drip

When the temperature hovers below freezing, keep a trickle of water running through your pipes 24/7. Standing water is more vulnerable to freezing temperatures than running water.

Contact Q’s Plumbing and Heating

If you’d like to know more about preventing winter plumbing problems, call us at 869.501.6006 or complete our contact form. Be sure to let us know if you have a heating or plumbing emergency. We’ll give your problem our immediate attention.


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