Winterizing your plumbing is crucial for preventing leakages and other issue. This is an important process that all homeowners in Redwood City should go through before the cold weather arrives. It is common to experience leaking pipes during cold winter, particularly under the floor and in your attic. In reality, the expansion of ice against the inside of your water pipes causes them to crack and leads to a possible burst. In case these cracks are small enough, they are visible and may only cause your pipes to leak. However, if they are large enough, you could experience a massive flood.

Once you know how to take care of your plumbing system, the winterizing process becomes fairly easy.      You need to empty the water heater and drain all water from the piles. Then, you should fill all fixtures with anti-freeze solution.

Make sure all the people in your house know where the emergency shutoff valve is and that includes children. This step is important since you will need to reach the shutoff valve quickly in case of a pipe bursting this winter. The valve is also responsible for the flow of water in your home. As soon as you take care of it, the water will no longer run in your home to cause further damage.

For homeowners whose pipes are located in an unheated garage or close to a less-insulated part of your home, such as the basement, it pays to insulate the faucets and pipes. If you don’t know how to do it yourself, ask professionals to help you out. Professionals can do the job efficiently since they can insulate exposed pipes all over a home with special heat tape. They are even capable of insulating hard to reach areas.

Pay attention to hose bibs as they are normally left attended. This may cause them to burst during any time of the day. It is important to drain hose bib and insulate them. After this, you can deactivate bibs at the shutoff valve. Use insulation sleeves or slip-on foam pipe insulation for insulating your pipes. Be careful not to leave any gaps as cold air will affect these spaces. Use plastic piping since it is more tolerant than steel or copper pipes.

Moreover, it is important that you winterize your home even if you are not vacating it during the winter months. This way, you can keep your pipes warmer and save on energy bills. It is also important to clean your pipes thoroughly before you insulate them. Make sure your insulation is covered and attached safely.

Here are a few to winterize your plumbing to be safe from leaks and bursts.

• An effective way to winterize your plumbing is to open your bathroom and kitchen cabinets so that warmer air can circulate through the plumbing.
• Be careful to close the exterior vents or foundation around your house (not all of them).
• Keep a heating source in your home to take care of your pipes
• Insulate your crawl space and block most vents that point outwards with wood or cardboard.

Final Thoughts

When you begin the winterization process, you might miss out on a few steps. This reason is why making a checklist to go about the process saves you valuable time and effort. Include all valves and taps that need your attention. Once you are done, mark them as complete, so you know there are no sneaky and unpleasant surprises that will come your way with the cold weather.