In this part of the country, winterizing the pipes in your home is necessary. While we enjoy the wonderful weather here most of the year, the winters can be cold and those low temps can cause pipes to freeze and burst. Here we are providing you some steps that will protect your home’s pipes.
1). Find the pipes that are susceptible and vulnerable to cold winds. These are pipes in the crawl space of your home, in the basement, exterior walls, and garage. Look to see if any have been leaking or are not insulated and wrapped. If you have trouble getting to these areas to check the pipes, an experienced, licensed plumber can be a great source of help.
2).Make sure the exterior faucets and pipes are secured. Start with the exterior faucets and pipes first and get them winterized. Any outdoor faucets need to be bibbed and wrapped, disconnect your water hoses and place them in the garage or storage shed.
If your home has a sprinkler system, turn the water supply off to it then drain the water from its piping. Again, this may be an area you need to have a plumber take care of for you. What little expense you’ll spend on a plumber could save you thousands of dollars later.
3). Any exposed pipes should be insulated. This not only helps keep them from freezing, but it reduces the energy used to heat the water. This can be done with foam tubing, newspaper, towels or electrical heating tape.
4). Seal up any interior or exterior trouble areas such as exposed pipes and plumbing. Make sure all doorways, windows, and vents are sealed and repair any seals that have come loose or separated with caulking.
5). Last but not least, check your indoor pipes and plumbing. Get any drips and leaks fixed and be sure on those days and nights the temps are down in the freezing range to leave the cabinet doors under the sinks open. This will allow the warm air from the house in there to help keep the pipes from freezing.
Are you in need of a reliable and knowledgeable residential plumber in the Claremore area? Call us and schedule a service call today!