Depending upon the part of the country you live in, one of the most important things that you can do prior to the arrival of cold weather is to winterize your plumbing system. Usually this will take place in October before temperatures at night dip below freezing. Most homes have one or more exterior faucets or “hose bibs” where the homeowner can connect a garden hose to water their lawn and flowers, as well as wash their car. It is critical that any water in the faucet itself, as well as the pipe, be eliminated before it can freeze. Frozen pipes that fail are one of the leading causes of water damage in homes!
A plumbing contractor can assist a homeowner in two ways to assist in the winterization of the plumbing system, which services the exterior of the home. First, a service call can be scheduled where the plumber will perform the service and drain all water from the pipe and shut off the water servicing the exterior faucet. They will be sure to drain any water out of the pipe as well.
The second way the plumber can assist the homeowner is to install specialized faucets, which automatically drain the faucet and a portion of the pipe when the faucet is turned off. Although most new homes are equipped with this type of faucet, most homes that are more than 15 years old have standard faucets. As a part of this replacement, a qualified plumbing contractor will install a specialized shut off valve in the mechanical room as well, which will allow water in the pipe to be drained after the water is shut off.
A qualified plumbing contractor will be able to complete either of these tasks quickly and economically. Remember that water pipes and freezing temperatures is not a good match! To avoid unnecessary water line repairs, make that call today and get ready for winter.
