Plumbing Maintenance Tips to Prepare Your Home for Winter
With the fall chill in the air it’s a reminder that winter will soon be here. If you’re a homeowner, it’s a reminder that it’s not only time to prepare your home’s heating system for the cooler months it’s also time to prepare your home’s plumbing for the freezing temperatures of winter.
To protect your home from a plumbing emergency here are a few things you should do:
- Clear the leaves and other debris from the gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage.
- Disconnect the outdoor water hoses and bring them inside.
- Make sure the water lines to the outside faucets are turned off and they should be drained. If water is left in the faucets and connecting pipes and that water freezes, it can cause the pipes to expand and crack—which can then cause serious damage or flooding to the inside of your home.
- If your home has interior shut-off values that go to the outside faucets, close them and drain the water from the outside lines.
- Check for drafts near water supply lines and insulate water pipes.
- Know where your main water cutoff valve is located. In the event you do have a burst pipe, you’ll want to turn off the water quickly!
If you need help preparing your home’s plumbing for the winter months— M.E. Flow can help you. With plumbing office locations in Alexandria, Leesburg and Winchester, M.E. Flow has a plumber near you! We offer a complete line of plumbing services from water heaters, drain clearing and toilet repair. M.E. Flow even offers a whole home plumbing inspection which will help you identify and fix your broken plumbing problems before they turn into a plumbing emergency.