Winter is upon us and Utah winters are especially tricky to deal with. Every year we get the extremes of wet snow, dry icy winds, and everything in between. These extremes are particularly hard on your plumbing, which is why it is essential to winterize your home. It may seem like a lot of extra effort, but it is well worth the time and money you’ll save by making sure that your plumbing is ready to withstand the harsh conditions of Utah winters.
While every home will have its own unique conditions to take care of, we’ve compiled a general checklist to serve as guidelines while you prepare your home this winter.
- Fix cracks and leaks: Did you know water expands as it freezes? This means that any leak you have in your plumbing that could potentially freeze is a ticking timebomb. When the temperature starts dropping, a tiny leak could turn into a serious rupture.
- Wrapping Pipes: Keeping your pipes from freezing isn’t just important for keeping your water flowing. As was mentioned above, water expands when it freezes, making pipes that have water in them potential dangers for cracking or bursting. Pipe wrap is relatively inexpensive and easy to apply.
- Swamp Coolers: Make sure your swamp cooler is drained and covered for the winter. A swamp cooler works with piping and is subject to the same freezing dangers as all the other pipes in your home. Covering it will keep it dry and help reduce rust and other weathering conditions.
- Wells and Water Houses: If you depend on a well for your water, make sure that all your exposed pipes are wrapped, both outdoors and in your pump house. Also, depending on how your pump house is built, it may be necessary to purchase additional heating units to make sure it always remains above freezing.
- Water Bibs and Sprinklers: Any outside faucets, hose sources, and sprinkler systems need to be shut off and covered. If possible, they also need to be dried of any moisture. Many in ground sprinkler systems have a flushing mechanism that can be operated with an air compressor.
- Know Your Water Main: If an emergency should arise with your piping, shutting off you water to prevent dangerous (and expensive) freezing situations is critical.
Again, this is just a general list. If you have any questions about any of these procedures or additional precautions specific to your property, don’t hesitate to contact us at Electric Rooter. We’re more than happy to answer your questions about winterizing or anything else to do with plumbing. We are also glad to assist you with winterizing your house or identifying any possible trouble spots you should watch out for. Give us a call so we can help you out today!
