Fall is just around the corner, in fact the first day of Fall is September 22nd. Instead of waiting until the last minute to start winterizing your home, a good time to think about the upcoming colder weather is during Fall. All summer you've enjoyed playing, keeping your lawn green, and not worrying about things like frozen pipes.
1) When water freezes, it expands. If you've ever filled up a bottle of water and popped it in the freezer for a cold treat later in the day, it only takes once before you learn that you can't fill it full. Same rule applies to gutters and pipes. Frozen water can tear apart eaves on your roof and even tear gutters right off your house! The more leaves in the way, the more likely your gutter will clog (and then freeze when the temperature drops).Quick Tip: Instead of pulling out leaves by hand or trying to balance with a small broom, try using a leaf blower! If the leaves are dry they should just fly out without a long hassle of an unwanted chore.
2) Once the weather has fully cooled down and you're not looking to use your water hose anymore, unhook the hose. Once you know it's fully drained, store them somewhere inside for the winter. Plastic and rubber can still freeze (and thaw) during colder weather, causing cracks along the way. After your hose is disconnected, make sure that your water spout is turned all the way off and stays that way!
3) Do you have a basement? Check for exposed pipes and insulate any that you can see. The pipes on the outside walls are the most susceptible to freezing. You can find pipe insulator at hardware stores, if it's not available you can try wrapping towels.
Quick Tip: If your pipe does freeze do NOT try to warm it up with an open flame. You can try to de-thaw it with a hair dryer or maybe heat tape that helps warm the pipe up in a safe manner.
4) Between spring cleaning and winter emergencies, fall is a great time to have maintenance checks. Fall is a great time of year to find great deals for things like water heater tune ups. While some people feel comfortable doing water heater tune ups, Mr. Rooter does not recommend it. It's tricky and much more costly if something goes wrong. Call your local Mr. Rooter plumber to come take a look.
5) After all of the spring and summer growth, you never know what kind of roots might have found their way into your pipes. This is not a happy surprise no matter what time of year, but when it comes to winter it can be a very costly emergency. Get a plumber out to snake your pipes and remove the roots. With the cooler weather, the growth will be slower, so if you do it before winter hits you should be fine throughout the season.
6) Insulate the open spaces in your home. Some places, like your basement, might not be heavily insulated. By removing drafts, you can save money on your heating and cooling bills. The less air that is moving across any exposed pipes will decrease the chance of any of them freezing.7) Know where your main water valve is, and make sure that everyone in the house knows where it is and how to use it. If one of your pipes does freeze and if it blows out, you will have a lot of water to clean up. Even a 1/2 inch pipe can gush around 10 gallons of water per minute. By knowing how to shut off the water valve in an emergency, you can potentially save a lot of money.
Seasons come and go, but you always have to depend on good plumbing. Many of these tips can be done throughout the year, but there's no time like the present to make sure that everything is running the way it should. If you find that things are running slow or might need maintenance, don't hesitate to call your local Mr. Rooter plumber for a check up!
Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Greater Syracuse, NY is a 24/7 plumbing service. Give us a call or schedule your appointment online. 315.472.1203
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