It's crucial to get your house ready for the winter months before they start, especially your plumbing system. There is a rising chance that expanding ice could rupture your pipes and damage your home when temperature falls and pipes start to cool.
We at Order a Plumber deal with customers all across Long Island to make sure their homes are prepared for the impending cold wave. Follow our winter plumbing maintenance checklist to learn more about how to avoid leaks and plumbing damage.
Wrap Uncovered Pipes
Start with exposed pipes as you begin your wintertime plumbing examination. Find the exposed pipes in your house and make sure you either insulate them or place them where they'll receive enough warm air. Any home hardware store will have pipe insulation wrap for sale. Even in the hardware area of a dollar store or department store, pipe insulation could be available.
Although you can contact a plumbing or heating company to help you winterize your pipes, wrapping the pipes does not require a professional. Insulating exposed pipes keeps heat in and prevents water from freezing, particularly at night when pipes aren't utilized.
Outdoor Water System Disconnect
During Long Island's winters, anything and everything is susceptible to damage, even your sprinkler system and garden hose. We always advise homeowners to unplug water hoses, sprinkler, water features (such as fountains), and any other outdoor plumbing that is connected to their house.
Undoubtedly, the cold winter weather will have the greatest impact on the pipes that link to these outside fixtures. Garden hoses and sprinklers shouldn't be attempted to be insulated, unlike the exposed lines in your home, as you won't likely use them in the winter.
Up The Thermostat's Setting
It's a good idea to begin putting up the heat, even just a little, even before fall turns into chilly winter nights. Start by setting your thermostat to a temperature of around 18 Celsius, or 64.4 Fahrenheit. While you don't want to overheat your house if you don't have to, you also don't want your plumbing to freeze in the event of an early-season snowfall.
Energy.gov advises keeping your home at 20°C., or 68°F, once it starts to become cold. This is when you're awake and in need of temperature management during the day. You can lower the temperature at night to save money.
Plan Your Vacations
Going on holiday travel? When it comes to plumbing and thermostats, it's usually beneficial to have a plan in place beforehand. Asking a friend or family to check on the house while you're away for an extended period of time can spare you the inconvenience of returning home to a burst pipe.
House-sitters should control the temperature and run the faucets a few times daily to prevent them from freezing. If you are fortunate enough to own a smart thermostat, you may set it to warm your house when necessary or even regulate the temperature remotely via an internet connection from anywhere in the world.
Examination Of The Water Heater
Make sure to inspect your water heater as you get ready for the winter. Even if everything is working properly, it should be checked annually for damages, leaks, cracks, and strange odors or sounds. You can unwind if everything seems to be working and know that your shower will stay hot all winter.
Call a Long Island plumber immediately away if the heater requires maintenance or repairs. It's critical to address these problems as soon as possible to avoid greater, irreparable difficulties that need replacing the water heater.
Verify The Water Pressure
You can learn a lot about the health of your plumbing from the water pressure. If the pressure seems to be lower than usual, there may be a leak or obstruction. Early notification of these problems to your plumber is crucial.
We constantly advise our customers to call as soon as they see any difficulty. In the field of plumbing, if something tiny is neglected, it nearly invariably grows into a bigger problem. You don't want to wait till the ground is frozen or snow is falling to sort it out since low water pressure could be a sign of a much greater issue.
Tidy Up The Gutters
Your gutters manage drainage off from your roof, which is unrelated to the plumbing system in your home. Many plumbing companies provide homeowners assistance with gutter inspection and cleaning twice a year. When the pollen, sap, and blossom have stopped floating about in the spring and just after the fall when most gutters are filled with fallen leaves, twigs, and other debris, these are the greatest times to clean your gutters.
A free flow of water away from the roof and your property is ensured by cleaning your gutters and downspouts. As shingle deterioration, rot, mold, and bugs are drawn to the debris and obstructed water, this stops unwelcome leaks and flooding.
Check The Taps And Faucets
Leaking faucets are an indication that something isn't quite right, from the shower head to the bathroom sink to the kitchen sink. Check your home for leaky faucets before winter arrives, and make sure all of your taps are tightened and working properly.
Small amounts of water can flow from leaking faucets, and since it is colder at night when you are asleep, this water may freeze. It is a difficult process that almost always necessitates the assistance of a professional to defrost your pipes.
Call a professional if you see any faucets that you can't fix on your own or if you're feeling overwhelmed by the winter plumbing checklist. Experienced plumbers are accustomed to handling these problems and are always willing to help, even on small works.
Call Order a Plumber Right Now
Are you interested in finding out more about how to keep your house safe throughout the winter and which plumbing services would be most useful to you? We can assist. Get in touch with Order a Plumber right away if you reside in Long Island.