5 Critical Ways To Prepare Your House plumbing For Heavy snow
Introduction:
How to prepare your plumbing for heavy snow?
With the winter season, there’s a good chance that heavy snowfall will be a common occurrence. This means that it is important to prepare your house for this type of weather, and you’ll want to know how to prepare your plumbing for heavy snow. To do so, one would want to disconnect the hose from the spigot at night or when it’s not being used. You should also make sure that all of your pipes are insulated. If any water lines have frozen over, try thawing them out by running warm water on them or using a hairdryer on low heat before turning back on the household water supply again! Lastly, NEVER turn on the household water supply without first checking for leaks!
Heavy snowfall is expected this winter and it’s important to prepare your home or business’s plumbing for the conditions. If your house is prone to leaks, you may want to make some more permanent improvements before winter hits and definitely find and fix any existing problems as soon as possible. Here are 5 critical ways to prepare your house plumbing for an Ottawa winter:
Relevant: Plumbing Maintenance Checklist For Fall and Winter
1) Turn off the Hose Connection at Night
In severe cold weather, homeowners have been known to leave their garden hoses attached from the spigot to outside faucets that aren’t being used. This allows a constant supply of water into those lines that could freeze if allowed to sit with no power running through them during the night. Always disconnect these hoses from the exterior faucet at night or when they’re not being used.
2) Keep the Pipes Warm
In cold weather, you should always keep your heating system contained in a sunny area and avoid letting walls and exterior insulation block the winter sun from entering all windows. In addition to turning on your heater if it’s cool inside, be sure to cover exposed pipes with insulating foam pipe sleeve covers that have been approved for use with natural gas or propane. You can also try using an indoor-safe heat lamp near where the pipes are located to help warm them up before winter sets in.
3) Check Insulation Levels for Your Outdoor Faucets & Hose Connection
Make sure that your outdoor faucets as well as any hose connection points are covered with ready-to-use outdoor faucet insulation kits. This includes looking for cracks in the connection where water can leak out if it freezes.
4) Thaw Frozen Water Lines
If any of your exterior water lines are frozen or burst, make sure you do not turn on your household water supply again without first checking to see if there’s a leak inside the home. If you suspect that a pipe has burst, shut off the main shutoff valve into your house and then open one cold water tap at a time until you find which one is dripping. Repair this damaged section of pipe before turning your main valve back on. You should also look for wet spots around all joints in exposed pipes to ensure they haven’t become damaged. If any damage is found, shut off your water supply and contact a plumber to service the line.
5) Never Turn On Your Household Water Supply Again Without Checking for Leaks
If you are concerned about preventing pipe damage when turning on your household water supply after winter, it’s best to call in professional plumbing service for an inspection before doing so. A plumber can check all of the valves, inspect lines near all exterior faucets, hose connections, and outdoor spigots to make sure none have been damaged by leaking or freezing throughout the winter weather. They can also help you revise your home’s plumbing system if necessary including adding insulation or installing shutoff valves outside in case pipes freeze again next year. If you have any questions about how to properly winterize your home’s plumbing, please contact a licensed plumber in your area.
Conclusion:
This winter is expected to have heavy snowfall. As a homeowner, you’ll want to be prepared for the 5 critical ways your house needs to prepare for this snowy weather event. Hope you enjoyed this resource!
