It’s that time of year again to make preparations for your plumbing with freezing temperatures. The last thing you’d want to wake up to on a cold Winter day, aside from no heat, is frozen pipes. Worse yet, is not realizing you have a broken pipe until Spring when you start watering the lawn and you come back inside to a flooded basement. Here’s some things to keep in mind when temperatures get below freezing.
Check Hose Bibs
-Disconnect your hoses from your hose bibs and install an insulation kit. You can find the kit at your local hardware store and it is easy to install to protect your hose bib from freezing through the winter.
Winterize your Lawn Sprinklers
-Drain water left in your sprinkler lines so the water does freeze, expand, and break the water lines in your yard.
Keep Doors Open
-Leave cabinet doors and doors to rooms open to allow warm air to circulate around pipes such as under the kitchen sink or bathroom sink.
Leave Water Dripping
-If you’re prone to frozen pipes, leave water dripping at a moderate drip at multiple fixtures. Water moving through pipes is less likely to freeze.
Leave Heating System On
-If you’re going on any extended trip, DON’T turn off your heat. Keep your thermostat set to at least 55 degrees and have someone check on your home to make sure the heat is still functioning and there aren’t any plumbing issues causing damage to your home.
Frozen pipes are definitely an inconvenience but can be prevented. Burst pipes can end up causing you hundreds of dollars worth of damage if left unnoticed. Take added precautions now and save yourself some trouble down the line. For all of your plumbing and heating needs, call us at 785-341-4193 and let us take care of you!
De Hart Plumbing Heating and Cooling, serving Manhattan Kansas, Junction City Kansas, Wamego Kansas, Topeka Kansas, and some surrounding areas.