NOW is the Time to Winterize Your Plumbing22 Aug
There are many things we put off. Many things that we later regret having put off. The weather we’ve been experiencing in Greater Cincinnati makes it very easy not to think of winter. Well this morning when I woke up in my Northern Kentucky home, there was a distinct nip in the air. The sort of briskness that alerts me to remind you about getting your home ready for winter.
Many of the plumbing systems throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are prone to freezing issues typically because they are poorly insulated. If you have a crawl space, for example, much of your plumbing is exposed, just above ground. An extended period of cold weather will make those pipes vulnerable without proper protection.
Here are just a few of the many ways you can begin now to very inexpensivley to winterize your plumbing system:
Identify areas most likely to freeze
Seems sort of obvious, but frankly, if you’re not thinking about it…well…you’re not thinking about it. Take some time to walk through your home and remember back to last winter, where was the coldest part of your home? Do you have plumbing running through your garage that’s not heated? What about a bath room directly above the garage? It’s not uncommon in older homes in areas near Union, KY or near Delhi, OH to have baths that have been added on by previous home owners that may have skipped a code requirement or two. They may make the home a target for freezing pipes.
Insulate Pipes
Pipe insulation is cheap when compared to the repair costs on a burst pipe. If you have to buy a lot, pace yourself. Buy a little bit every few weeks and before you know it, the entire home will be done.
Drain exterior hoses and hose bibs
Every winter we see calls about burst pipes that still have a hose hooked to the exterior hose bib. There are frost-free hose bibs that we can install for you if you want to ensure there will no problem in the future. If you don’t replace them, at least protect them with faucet jackets. For many in the Greater Cincinnati area, that is a good preventative meausre.
Winterizing for an extended time
This is a little more involved and should include shutting off the water main and draining the entire plumbing system of water. We recommend keeping your home at 55 degrees to prevent any remaining water from freezing.
If you are simply unsure exactly what to do, we can help. We serve the entire Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area, so whether you need a plumber near West Chester, OH or a plumber near Union, KY, we can help.
Remember, we don’t want to be any plumber, we want to be YOUR plumber!
