The winter can affect your plumbing in multiple ways. It can cause metallic pipes to contract, lead to water freezing inside pipes, and create situations where cracked or burst pipes can become even more compromised than they already were. Make sure you follow the advice given below, if you want to make sure that these issues and others will not affect the efficiency of your plumbing this winter.
Winterize Your Pipes
The first thing you have to think about before the arrival of the cold season is that you have to winterize your pipes. If possible, replace metal pipes with PVC where metal is not essential. Also, consider installing heat cables in outdoor areas where the heat from your home can’t reach the pipes. That way you won’t need to worry that they would freeze in those specific areas.
As for the pipes in your home, there are a few methods to make sure they don’t freeze or break because of the cold, and that they can operate at peak efficiency. You can cover them with cloth or tape to keep the cold from reaching them, or you can adjust the heating so the temperature will never drop below about 45-50 degrees. That way, you’ll prevent anything from freezing and you can even leave your house for a longer period of time without having to worry.
Check Your Water Heater
If you have a water heater, you might find that low pressure in your hot water pipes could result from the water heater being damaged. Have a professional take a look at it and inspect it for damage to tell you why the water pressure is so low, check for other damage if it’s present, and get the problem solved as soon as possible.
This problem has to be solved as early as possible, since it could cost you a lot of money. If your hot water is only provided at low pressure, then it can easily lose a lot of its heat while traveling through the pipe, which will require you to turn up the heat on your water heater. That puts added strain on the system while also causing the heater to use up more fuel or electricity.
Use Preventive Repairs Wisely Before Winter
Property management experts and Denver plumbing company technicians alike will advise you to set aside some of your maintenance budget before winter to take care of any preventive repairs that are not necessarily urgent. Leaky faucets, old pipes that haven’t been replaced in a long time and slightly clogged drains can all cause a lot of trouble, and if any of these problems gets bigger in the winter, then the job of fixing it will be not just far more difficult, but also more expensive.
To make sure you know exactly which areas of your plumbing will need the most attention before the freeze sets in, talk to your local plumber and call them over for a complete inspection of your plumbing system. That will give them a clearer picture on which damages are the most essential to fix to prevent future problems with the coming of winter.
