How to Avoid Frozen Water Lines this Winter!

Freezing Temperatures are here!

Most of us are probably thinking about the heat

in our homes but we should also be thinking about the plumbing in our household, especially the water lines.

Freezing temperatures can effect our waterlines by them freezing, and it doesn't take much to freeze water especially when were gone out of the home to work or to do daily tasks. Having a waterline freeze can cause the piping to split and create significant water damage to our home, protecting our home from this is extremely important and can give you the piece of mind while you are out of your home or on a vacation.

As we run into these extremely cold temperature drops like we are facing today, keep these tips in mind (See tips Below)

Have an understanding of where your home plumbing is ran:

Knowing where your waterlines are ran in your home is extremely important to help prevent the waterlines from freezing, whether you have been in your home for years or just moved in have a look around and locate where all the waterlines are ran, look in areas where you have toilets, showers, sinks etc and identify if there is a cold space within the area that can cause freezing conditions.

What to do if you find piping within a cold space?

You have found a waterline in a cold space and you might be thinking what can I do to prevent it from freezing. First things first, wrap the pipe with insulation this can be pipe insulation found at your local hardware store or even regular insulation you see in walls to help keep the water lines from being exposed to freezing temperatures.

I am going on a trip and I am worried about my waterlines freezing?

Sometimes this cold is just too much and we want to get away and go somewhere warm, but your worried about your waterlines freezing, here are some key things to do when planning a trip and leaving for a while:

-Leave all the cabinet doors to your sinks or vanity's open to allow warm air from the room enter the space.

-Leave your faucets running so that the water is trickling into your sink, water can only freeze if it is not moving within the line so allowing water to trickle into the sink or tub can help prevent a freezing water line. Just remember you might pay a little more on your water bill but it beats having a disaster in your home that can can give you major headaches.

- Have someone you trust visit your home periodically throughout your trip and too check too see if everything is ok, doing this can be beneficial because sometimes your home furnace can stop working and this can cause waterlines too freeze much faster( having someone inspect your furnace is also a great idea before leaving on a trip to make sure everything is running smoothly)

The water in my tap is coming out really slow?

If you find that you are not getting significant pressure coming out of your tap during these cold temperatures make sure to take a look around your home and follow your water lines, feel them with your hands and if you find that they are extremely cold especially in some areas using a hair dryer can help warm them up and get them back to normal. * Never use a open flame on your waterline this may cause more harm then good.

Shut you main water supply off!

The most important thing to remember is if you find a leak in your home or you are unsure what to do, SHUT THE WATER TO YOUR HOME, find the main shut off valve and close it, if you are still unsure what to do after that you can give us a call 24/7 and we will be there to help you.

Till next week,