Tips to Prepare Emergency Plumbing in This Winter 2021

While emergencies can happen all year long, winter weather can particularly be brutal for a plumbing situation to go wrong. Low temperatures cause higher hot water demand, which can overwhelm your plumbing system. Neighborhood Plumbing brought you three emergency plumbing situations that your home may experience this winter and how to avoid them. Keep reading to avoid costly plumbing repairs.

3 Things You Need To Prepare For This Winter:

1.  Frozen or Burst Pipes

Your plumbing can be at risk of freezing any time it’s freezing outside. Exposed plumbing outside or running along an exterior wall of a garage or a crawl space, for example, can be the main cause of frozen pipes. Water expands as ice forms if frozen inside a pipe, and the latter can burst if additional pressure builds up inside. Turn off the water and get the pipe repaired as soon as possible.

Precautions

• The thermostat needs to be set at 55 degrees at least, even if you’re not home!
• Moving water is less likely to freeze, so consider opening a faucet and permit a slow trickle of cold water to run.
• Under-sink cabinet doors need to be open so that warm air can circulate around the pipes.
• Space heaters need to be placed in rooms where plumbing is placed, and where the temperature can stay above 40 degrees.
• If pipes run through the garage, don’t leave its door open.
• Electrical heat tapes and pipe insulation can maintain the warmth of exposed plumbing.
• Blow out sprinklers before winter.

2.  No Hot Water

If the heating element in a water heater doesn’t get old, sediment buildup at the bottom of the tank can reduce the heating element’s effectiveness! Water heaters can face all kinds of problems. Because older gas water heaters ignite burners with a pilot light, always check the pilot light and relight it if it goes out.

Precautions

One of them is draining the tank and removing the sediment buildup is the most important water heater maintenance step you can take. Full flushes are needed occasionally, but two mini-flushes a year can be effective. Repeat the following steps until a few gallons from the tank are emptied and the water can run clear:

• Put a bucket under the drain valve and turn the handle counter-clockwise. Use a flat blade screwdriver to turn the valve if the water heater has a handle-less stem.
• Once the bucket is full, close the valve and dump the water (outside or down the sink)

3.  Leaky Faucets

Winter usually causes a demand increase on the plumbing system and brings with it loose handles, wear-out seals, or aerators problems.

Precautions

To prevent similar problems, pay attention to your faucets and showerheads. Don’t ignore leaks or your water bills could increase exponentially. If you’re not able to fix the leak yourself, reach out to Neighborhood Plumbing for reliable plumbers!

Are you looking for a team of reliable plumbers?  Do you need plumbing repair and you don’t know who to call? The team of Neighborhood Plumbing can assist you with emergency plumbing services, as well as resolve the previously mentioned plumbing problems or even prevent them from happening in the future. Call our office today to learn more!