Outdoor Plumbing in Clear Lake, TX

Being a homeowner is hard enough, but it gets tougher during wintertime. But that gets even more concerning in terms of plumbing and water line repair. Aside from being prepared for regular winter plumbing maintenance, staying alert for any possible water line repair becomes more important. Protecting your pipes becomes even more serious. During winter, your water pipes are most likely to freeze and burst inside your home, wreaking havoc.

Pipes become way too fragile in the winter, and even a tiny leak or crack can cause severe flooding inside your home. Now, broken pipe problems don’t happen just in winter. They occur in warmer seasons as well, but the potential for a pipe to be frozen and broken is most likely to happen in the winter. Just the temperature going below 32 degrees Fahrenheit can do some serious damage and you might need extensive water line repair services afterwards.

Dealing with frozen and broken pipes during winter takes a lot of time and money, not to mention the peace of your mind. That’s why you should always take measures before winter arrives so that you can minimize damage to your water line as well as your wallet. If you’re looking for things to do to prevent broken and frozen pipes during winter, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you can do to lower the chance of getting your pipes frozen and bursting in the winter.

Tips To Avoid Frozen and Broken Pipes In The Winer

Winter is like a nightmare for a home’s plumbing system and it increases the frequency of water line repairs. Not every home is equipped to deal with it. To battle wintertime, plumbing systems need to be guarded specifically to battle cold, and that’s an expensive measure, to say the least. But along with exterior pipes, even interior pipes are not safe from the harsh effects of winter. Now, it goes without saying that you can’t control the weather. But you do have extensive control over your plumbing system, and you can prevent expensive water line repairs. Let’s discuss our hand-picked and most practical ways you can avoid frozen and broken pipes in the winter.

Unlock The Cabinets

It’s most common that your pipes run through a cabinet in your kitchen/bathroom, and that’s more reason to keep the temperature higher. When you realize the temperatures are getting lower and lower, make sure to unlock the cabinets inside your kitchen/bathroom. This will help the interior pipes receive warm air, as unlocking the cabinet will help circulate warm air throughout the plumbing system.

Make Sure To Let Your Faucets Drip

It’s okay to let your faucet drip in the winter to prevent frozen and bursting pipes. Now, you may wonder why you should waste water to prevent water line repairs in wintertime. No, we’re not recommending you to waste water on high pressure. Just make sure the faucets are dripping with the tiniest trickle. Even the smallest trickle will help your water line to avoid frozen and burst pipes in winter.

Don’t Turn Off The Heat

It’s a good idea to keep the thermostat on at all times in your home to prevent your pipes from being broken and frozen. Make sure to keep the heat on constantly, even if you’re not at home. It’ll raise some energy bills, but you still have to keep the heat on and running. It’s not worth needing water line repairs in the winter than to have slightly higher energy bills. Otherwise, it’ll be terrible to find out your pipes have been frozen and burst by morning if you decide to turn the heat off at night. It won’t be a pretty sight, and your peace of mind will soon be gone through the window.

Consider Investing In Insulation

The best thing you can do to guard your pipes during wintertime is to invest in properly insulating your home. This is one of the best options for you to take if you’re looking for a long-term solution. Make sure you properly insulate your basement and attic as well to prevent water line repairs in the winter. This will keep everything in your home sealed and prevent any drafts from freezing and bursting your pipes.

Now, you probably can’t insulate your entire home all by yourself since it’s a difficult thing to do if you don’t have the necessary skills or experience. So, you need to consider hiring an expert to see it through to the end and make sure the insulation is done properly.

Get Yourself a Space Heater

Getting a space heater should be your last resort since things can get a bit messy. Space heaters are definitely not to be used as a long-term option. It’s only to be used as an emergency resort since not many homeowners can prepare themselves to fight against the winter for their plumbing system.

A space heater can heat up a certain and specific space inside your home, and it’s to be used in the room where the interior pipes are most likely to be frozen. You can use a space heater in a kitchen inside your home that is sort of adjacent to the outside of your home to get the most results. But make sure you don’t use a space heater inside your bathroom unless it’s a time of utmost urgency. Always make sure to use a space heater directly plugged into a ground-fault circuit interrupter. A space heater can damage other electrical appliances, and it should never be used with an extension cord. These simple tips can help you save money from expensive water line repairs.

Bottom Line

Being a homeowner is a neverending responsibility, and it gets bigger throughout the years and seasons. And taking care of your home from having a plumbing disaster is worrisome, to say the least, especially in the winter. So it’s absolutely necessary that you should take proper steps to prevent frozen and broken pipes in the winter. That’s how you can save money and time from expensive water line repairs. By following our steps above, you can easily make sure your home doesn’t suffer any broken and frozen pipes during the entire winter season.