Winterize Plumbing | A Seasonal Plumbing Checklist for Homeowners
Getting ready for the cold is essential for maintaining the health of your property’s indoor and outdoor plumbing system. It’s even more important if you’ll be leaving your home for a period of weeks or months, either for a vacation or if you’re one of the thousands of Americans who exchange cold climates for warmer ones during the winter. Before your home sits for a long period of time during the winter, it’s important to keep a minimal amount of heat in the pipes to prevent water from freezing. Water expands when it freezes to ice, which can create internal pressure and cause pipe bursts or leaks. The keys to preventing pipe damage are two things: reducing the amount of water in the pipes, and insulating heat as much as possible. This guide will give you a great place to begin winterizing your home or condo for the upcoming winter.
1. Turn Off Water and Adjust Heat
The first thing to do when winterizing your pipes is to turn off your main water valve. Continuous water will negate all the progress made after this step, so it’s important. Eliminating as much water as possible is the primary objective to protecting your property from the elements. The next step is to adjust your water heater to a lower setting, but not off. No heat at all will freeze the pipes and will require relighting the pilot light upon return, not to mention the possibility of major damage. Minimal heat is required to keep the pipes warm enough to prevent freezing, even without anyone at home.
2. Drain Lines
Flushing toilets and draining all indoor plumbing is your next line of action. Outside, hire a professional to drain sprinkler systems. This removes excess water from pipes. This is vital because when water freezes, it expands. Expanding pipes can burst and leave your home flooded and water-damaged. Some experts suggest pouring non-toxic RV or marine antifreeze down the toilets, tubs, and sinks after excess water has been flushed out as an additional preventative measure – just be sure it’s non-toxic and safe to use in pipes!
3. Maintain Air Heat and Cover or Expose Pipes
Maintaining heat on the property is the next step. Even though heating costs money, not heating an empty house in winter conditions will cost more if your home is damaged. Turn your thermostat to a low setting, but not off, to ensure that indoor plumbing doesn’t freeze. Setting the thermostat to at least fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit is recommended. Next, expose your indoor pipes to more warm air by opening cabinets under the sink to release humidity. Cover other exposed pipes in areas with less heat, like in the basement or outdoors, like an outdoor water faucet, for example, with insulated sleeves to keep in the heat. These are usually made of styrofoam, quite cheap, and readily available at a hardware store.
4. Top Tips to Winterize Plumbing
Two things are vital to prevent water from freezing in your plumbing system: removing as much residual water as possible and keeping heat where it needs to be. Ice expands and can burst causing small to major leaks, so flushing out water and using antifreeze are helpful tactics. Keeping your heat on the lowest setting, but not off, is important to keeping the water temperature above freezing. Adhering to these checklist items will help maintain the health of your pipes.
Sometimes we may face damage despite best efforts, which is why choosing faucets with great warranties and a history of exceptional durability is important. Consider the Two-Handle Lavatory Faucet and Single-Handle Pre-Rinse Spring Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet for their rigorous factory testing, unmatched durability, and exceptional warranty.
Wrapping it All Up
As a trusted supplier of faucets and fixtures for over 100 years, Pioneer, Central Brass, and Olympia are here for you. Embrace the benefits of quality, product availability, and shipping speed by partnering with Pioneer. Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your project is in good hands and transform your building or home with these beautiful and exceptionally durable faucets. All are backed by a best-in-the-industry warranty, are easy to install, and will stand the test of time.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: AI training with this protected original content is prohibited.
We’ll Save You Money and Time
There are many ways to the same destination. This saying applies to multifamily housing builds just as much as to anything else in life. The ultimate goal is save as much money as possible while delivering a great finished project – that’s simply showing smart business sense. But, finding a one-off deal or sacrificing quality isn’t the only way to get a healthy ROI. We have a better way.
Pioneer works with professionals every day to develop specification packages and plans that save our valued partners both time and money, sometimes in surprising ways. It’s our goal to ensure your project meets or exceeds its expected outcome. We want to get to know you and your company and show you how we can save you money. Please reach out via our website form or call us at (800) 338-9468.
Popular Faucets for Winter Peace of Mind:
