Avoid Winter Plumbing Problems

The winter months can be very harsh on a home’s plumbing system, especially if it is an older home. Knowing how to prevent your home from suffering from winter plumbing issues can save you time and a lot of frustration. Continue to read the following tips on winterizing your homes plumbing system before it’s too late.

In most homes the kitchen sink is located on the outside of the wall facing a window. The pipes located on the outside of the wall are more likely to suffer from problems like freezing as opposed to pipes located on the inside of the walls. To prevent your kitchen sink pipes from freezing try keeping the cabinet doors open. Keeping the doors open may not look to attractive, however it will let more warm air in preventing the pipes from freezing. If this doesn’t work try putting a space heater near the cabinet doors or in your kitchen, increasing the amount of heat being exposed to the pipes. Once the winter is over and the weather begins to get warmer you should think about re-insulating your sinks pipes.

Another precaution you should always take when winterizing the plumbing system in your home is having a professional come out and check on appliances such as your boiler, furnace, septic tank, and water heater. If these big appliances aren’t checked or serviced before the cold months you could end up digging yourself a financial hole in addition to the inconvenience it will cause you. If your septic tank isn’t serviced and pumped before the winter months it could end up causing a stoppage and will be more expensive for a professional to dig through frozen ground. Water heaters are the most common appliance to cause trouble in the winter and if not properly checked it could result in you and your family taking a lot of cold showers.