Plumbing problems occur at the most inconvenient times and seasonal shifts – whether it be festivities and an increase of people in your house (and therefore increased usage), or a change in temperatures – can largely affect how efficiently your homes plumbing works.
How Can I Help to Prevent Having a Costly Leak During Winter?
There are a number of steps you can take to help prevent a leak in your home during winter. Below are six tips to help save yourself some stress this winter.
- Insulate pipes to protect them from freezing.
During winter plummeting temps can cause the water in your pipes to freeze and may result in them bursting. If you are out of the home, or even just unaware that one of your pipes has burst, the results can be disastrous. A burst pipe can cause large amounts of damage to your home and belongings and can quickly become costly to repair.
If you have any un-insulated pipes, wrap them in a blanket of foam before winter to help prevent frozen and burst pipes.
2. Fix leaks before winter or as soon as you notice them.
Check your home for leaks before winter arrives and also keep an extra eye out for them during winter. The change of temperatures can cause fixtures in your home to become strained or weather worn, causing leaks. If you have noticed a leak, the best course of action would be to get them repaired as soon as possible.
You should make sure that everything in your home is in top working condition before winter to avoid any nasty surprises.
3. Drain down your evaporative cooler.
Prevent burst or frozen pipes and damage to your evaporative cooler this winter by draining down your evaporative cooler when you turn it off for the season.
Read our blog post How Does an Evaporative Cooler Work? To find out how to drain down your evaporative cooler before winter. https://canberraplumbing.net.au/plumbing-tips/how-does-an-evaporative-cooler-work/
4. Disconnect outdoor water fittings.
Disconnect outdoor fittings, such as hoses and sprinklers, and ensure all taps are turned off properly. This will help to prevent frozen pipes and leaks from split fittings.
5. Close and drain shut-off valves.
If you have any interior shut-off valves that lead to outdoor faucets, close them and drain the water from outside lines. If any water is left in these lines, it can freeze and cause damage to pipes as well as leaks.
6. Ensure your hot water system is good working order.
Check your hot water system before and regularly during winter to ensure it is in good working order. Keep an eye out for leaks in the unit as well as any changes to your hot water supply as this may indicate a leak that you haven’t noticed. Leaks in your hot water system could lead to further issues including having no hot water (and having hot water is must, especially in winter!)
Carrying out these steps will help you to avoid a costly winter leak in your home. If you have, whilst performing these tasks, noticed any issues in your home, it is recommended that you call an experienced professional as soon as possible. Leaving a small issue now, with the hopes that it doesn’t get worse, could potentially lead to you facing a costly winter disaster.
Have you used these tips in your home to prepare it for winter and have noticed that there are a few issues? Is it the middle of winter and you are currently experiencing an emergency situation such as no hot water? It’s time to give Canberra Plumbing and Drains a call. Our highly skilled and experienced technicians are on hand and ready to attend your home and get your plumbing back to peak working order. Call our team on 0474 488 899 to organise your appointment today!
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