While winter can be a magical season, it certainly comes with its challenges, especially when it comes to keeping your home in shape. Winterizing your house plumbing is one of the most important tasks of the cold months. Failure to do so may result in expensive repairs and unwanted disruptions. But not to worry — doing the right things can weatherthe pipes, ward off damage and give you peace of mind.
Why You Should Winterize Your Plumbing
When the temperatures fall below freezing, your plumbing system inside your home is susceptible. Water expands when it freezes, and that can burst pipes. A single busted pipe can cause a lot of water damage, expensive repairs, and potentially structural problems in your home.
Going out of your way to prepare your plumbing for winter will help avoid any unnecessary damage in the future and keep your home safe and functional through the cold season. It can literally save you dollars by steering clear of emergency maintenance and prolonging the life of your piping system.
Winter Plumbing Issues: What You Need To Know
Why Do Pipes Freeze?
When the temperatures fall below freezing, water inside your pipes can freeze. Applies pressure against the walls of the pipes if it freezes (as it expands when it freezes). The pipe can then crack or burst under excessive pressure, resulting in leaks as well as water damage.
Common Winter Plumbing Issues
Here’s a list of the most common issues that homeowners deal with throughout winter:
- Frozen Pipes: The most common problem, which occurs when pipes are not sufficiently insulated or are exposed to cold air.
- Water Heater Failures: Low temperatures can push water heaters to overwork, resulting in the breakdown.
- Outdoor Faucet Damage: Outdoors faucets and hoses left in the cold can freeze and crack, causing them to leak.
How to Winterize a House Plumbing: A Step-by-Step Guide
Use the following steps to protect plumbing systems this winter:
Insulate Exposed Pipes
Insulating pipes is one of the most basic and effective ways to prevent frozen pipes.
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Why It’s Important
Pipes in uninsulated areas like basements, crawl spaces or attics face the highest risk of freezing. Insulating helps maintain the evenness of the temperature all around the pipes.
- Materials You’ll Need
- Foam pipe insulation
- Fiberglass pipe wrap
- Heat tape or heating cables
How to Insulate Pipes
- You will then need to measure the pipes you wish to insulate.
- Cut foam insulation or fiberglass wrap to fit over the pipes.
- Use zip ties or duct tape to secure the insulation.
For added safety, utilize heat tape in order to keep pipes warm in extremely cold conditions.
Maintain Your Water Heater
Your water heater is working double time during the wintry months, so it is vital to make sure it’s not a cause for concern.
- Water Heater Maintenance — Steps to Follow
- After this, flush the tank to get rid of sediment buildup.
- Keep the water heater thermostat at 120°F (avoid overheating)
If you are going to be away from home for a while, turn down the water heater and drain it to avoid freezing.
Protect Outdoor Plumbing
Outdoor plumbing is especially susceptible to freezing temperatures.
What to Do
- Turn off garden hoses from outdoor faucets so water doesn’t freeze and expand inside the hose.
- Cover taps with faucet covers or insulating foam covers or faucet socks.
- Turn off interior valves that feed outdoor spigots and drain any residual water.
Prevent Frozen Pipes Indoors
Even simple precautions indoors can go a long way.
Tips to Keep Pipes Warm
- Let faucets drip during periods of extreme cold. It also keeps the water in motion which helps to avoid freezing.
- Open the cabinet doors under sinks, particularly those against exterior walls, to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.
- Use caulk or spray foam to seal cracks and gaps around windows, doors and pipes to block cold air from getting in.
Drain Water Lines
If you intend to leave your house vacant in winter you must drain your water lines.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Shut the house water supply off.
If the pipes have frozen, open all faucets and allow water to run until the pipes are empty.
Flush all toilets to empty the tanks.
In toilets, sinks and drains, pour in antifreeze to keep any lingering water from freezing.
Sump Pumps: Inspect and Maintain
This is where sump pumps come to the rescue to prevent flooding in the basement.
What to Check
- Make sure your sump pump is working properly.
- Clear discharge lines of debris, and ensure they’re not exposed to freezing temps.
Cold Weather Disaster Preparedness
Even with the best-laid plans, emergencies do occur. Get with your must-haves:
Pipe repair kits
Heat tape
A portable space heater
- Understanding where your main water shut-off valve is located in your home
- More Tips for Getting Your Plumbing Ready for Winter
Indoor Temperature Management
If you’re leaving your home, keep your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. That keeps interior pipes from freezing.
Try a smart thermostat to monitor and adjust remotely.
Inspect Gutters and Downspouts
Clogged gutters can create ice dams, which could impact the plumbing in systems that run along an exterior wall. Before the first freeze, clean your gutters and make sure they are properly draining.
Benefits of Winterizing Your Plumbing
- There are several benefits to winterizing your home’s plumbing system:
- NO MORE wasting money by paying for repairing things like frozen pipes or broken water lines.
- Extend Plumbing System Lifespan: When properly maintained, your pipes will experience less wear and tear.
- Peace-of-Mind: You can enjoy the winter season in peace without having to worry about any plumbing emergencies.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Homeowners with the best intentions can misstep while winterizing their plumbing. Here are a few to keep an eye out for:
Forgetting to Disconnect Other Hoses: Water left in hoses can freeze and break faucets.
- Neglecting Minor Leaks: Small leaks will often become bigger leaks in freezing weather.
- Not Insulating Pipes: All unheated office areas are vulnerable.
- Chart: Checklist for Getting Plumbing Ready for Winter
| Task | Tools Needed | Estimated Time |
| Insulate exposed pipes | Foam insulation, tape | 1-2 hours |
| Maintain the water heater | Bucket, wrench | 30 minutes |
| Protect outdoor plumbing | Faucet covers, pliers | 30 minutes |
| Drain water lines (if vacant) | Wrench, antifreeze | 1 hour |
| Inspect sump pump | Flashlight, gloves | 15 minutes |
Conclusion
Winterizing your plumbing is an important part of ensuring your home is safe from the dangers of freezing weather. Take the steps mentioned here — pipe insulation, water heater maintenance and draining water lines, and keep costly repairs at bay and a winter without worry.
However, if you’re in doubt or overwhelmed at any stage of your Australian plumbing issue, please don’t hesitate to contact a professional plumber. That said, it is still much better to take preventative action now than to have to take corrective measures later.
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