6 Practical Tips to Prepare Your Plumbing System for Winter

Plumber contractor making repairs to a home kitchen remodel

As the nights are longer and the days are shorter, this is only the sign that winter is here! As you take the jackets out of your closets and find yourself brewing more hot cocoas, you also need to take a look into your plumbing system. You don’t want to get stuck in the middle of the winter season with leaks or other plumbing issues, right? Winter is the worst time to be unprepared, which is why you need to prepare your plumbing early on to prevent any unexpected issues.

In this article, we will share six practical tips to prepare your plumbing system for the winter months:

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1. Turn Off Outside Water Valves

If you want to prevent frozen pipes, you need to turn off your outside water valves. Look for pipes in areas in your home that don’t have insulation, which is typically the ones that run along the outer walls of your home, and turn them off.

These pipes will likely freeze, so wrap them with towels for the season to prevent them from freezing.

2. Conserve Your Home's Energy

If you are away for some time during the winter, you could turn down the heat to save energy. However, don’t turn the heat too low because this will increase the risk of frozen and ruptured pipes. To prevent pipe rupture, set your home’s temperature lower than 45 °F to provide you with maximum savings while protecting your pipes from freezing out.

3. Make Sure Your Water Heater Is Working Well

Your water heater will be more important than ever during this time of the year, which is why you must make sure it’s performing optimally. You can have a plumber at CE Plumbing & Heating to inspect your water heater to ensure that it’s in good condition. We will also check and make any replacements or repairs that are needed.

4. Be Careful With Kitchen Disposal

The holidays are the perfect time for large meals, so you need to be mindful of how you dispose of food items and leftovers in your kitchen. You don’t want to deal with clogged drains, especially in the middle of a party, right?

For this reason, remember that fats or oils can accumulate in your pipes and form a sludge, which then causes blocks. When you have family members or friends over at your house, remind them of the kitchen disposal steps that they should take to prevent blocked pipes!

5. Eliminate Air Drafts

If there are areas in your home where your water supply is in an unheated place, you must take prompt action to prevent the flow of cold air into them. This usually happens in garages and lofts. You can avoid this situation by insulating hot and cold pipes.

6. Drain Sprinkler Systems

If you have an irrigation system, keep in mind that the sprinklers can easily freeze during the cold months, especially when you forget to shut it off. A single pipe burst can be disastrous. Before you turn the sprinklers off, drain each valve that’s connected to the sprinkler system. If you do not know how to do this, you can always depend on professional help to ensure safe and effective outcomes!

Conclusion

Your plumbing system is one of the things in your home you need to pay close attention to as winter rolls around. There are many situations that can go wrong in your pipes that you don’t want to deal with during the festivities. By following the six practical tips above, you will be able to keep your system safe. It’s also a good idea to have a plumber inspect your pipes and make sure that they’re ready for the winter season so that you can enjoy the holidays worry-free!

Are you looking for reliable plumbers in Kelowna? CE Plumbing & Heating is here for you. We have fully-licensed plumbers to make sure your plumbing system is ready for winter. Get in touch with us today to request a free job estimate!

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