Have your plumbing inspected prior to winter weather
Winter is a time of year when many homeowners are faced with the prospect of having to deal with major repairs to their exterior pipes and hoses. While it’s certainly better than getting stuck in a snowdrift, winter plumbing needs extra care to properly protect against potentially damaging ice, snow, and sleet. Just like any other plumbing fixture, the pipes and hoses that connect your home to the outside world are vulnerable to extreme weather and freezing temperatures. In order for your home to function properly during these conditions, you need an insulated water line pipe, an outdoor copper waterline pipe, and a water-tight clear plastic hose connection.
You want to make sure these parts are well-insulated so that you don’t have any issues with chill or freeze damage while they’re out in the elements. Winter is one of those rare times of the year when the wind really can be a problem for heating systems and plumbing. If you live somewhere where cold winds can make it hard for your pipes to work as they should then it makes sense that you install some type of weather protection on all your exterior pipes.
One way this can be done is by installing insulated waterlines around all your exterior pipes so that they are protected from the frigid winds that come with the cold weather. You can go a step further by installing an insulated copper waterline pipe as well if you have some extra money to spend on protecting your plumbing from snowstorms or freezing temperatures. Other types of weather protection include tarps or fleece blankets which will also help block out any wind caused damage to your piping system in case it gets too snowy or wet outside too quickly for these parts to adapt properly (if you live somewhere where the coldest months of winter are early spring than this could be a concern).
Both insulated waterlines and insulated copper waterline pipes need insulation between them so that there aren’t any leaks between them which would allow warm air from inside the house (which is why most plumbing companies recommend insulating all new connections with thermal tape before installing them). You want each pipe inside your home not only insulated but also waterproof so if something does get through then at least part of it won’t freeze up while still remaining connected to its original source (the outside piping system).
Aside from being able to protect yourself from extreme weather situations, there are also many other benefits of insulating all outdoor plumbing fixtures including preventing leaks which could result in costly repair bills down the road (especially during
Inspect exterior plumbing for cracks, leaks, and proper insulation
If you have a central heating system, you should make sure that it is properly insulated — not just to keep heat in during the cold winter months, but to prevent the pipes from freezing and bursting.
One of the reasons we have so much water damage in our homes is that there are no insulation differences between indoor and outdoor plumbing. The bottom line: even if you think your plumbing is insulated, it could be more vulnerable than you realize. To avoid any winter plumbing issues with exterior plumbing, make sure they are well-insulated to prevent damage from winds or wet weather.
Use caulk or insulation to seal any cracks or gaps
After months of winter, the cold weather is finally over. But do you know how to prevent any plumbing problems from your outside and inside pipes? If you want to avoid any plumbing problems with your outside or inside pipes, this winter, make sure they are well-insulated to prevent damage from winds or wet weather.
When it snows, the water seeping in might freeze between the pipe and the wall of your house; once it gets warmer, it will melt again and drip back into your home. If this happens, a pipe that’s freezing can actually deform and split apart. This makes it a lot more difficult for plumbers to fix any damage that may have been caused by this frozen cold water when you get home later on in the day.
To prevent this danger — and make sure your pipes stay in good shape — you can use caulk or insulation around them. The best way is to spread some on both sides of every pipe you want to protect in case it gets frozen during winter.
If you don’t want to buy caulk just yet, there are several great alternatives that can help keep your pipes waterproof. For example insulation tape, which is like a paint applied over an insulated pipe; and flexible plastic pipe covers like the ones from Clasico Plumbing.
Wrap plumbing in insulation or use heating cables
I’ve written a lot about winter plumbing issues, so I thought it was high time to write a post specifically on that topic.
Most of us are familiar with the issue of water freezing in pipes when temperatures drop below freezing. For homeowners, this can be disastrous. The pipes can freeze and burst, causing damage and water damage to your home (or even flooding it.) For commercial buildings, this can be even more dangerous, as ice buildup in the pipes can cause significant damage to the building structure.
Now, there is an easy fix for this problem: simply wrap the pipes in insulation. Insulation will keep heat in the pipes and prevent them from freezing when temperatures fall below freezing. However, if you are planning on doing this yourself for your own home or business, make sure you do it properly so that you don’t create extra work for yourself or others in your building (your property manager may have instructions on how to do this.)
The most common way of wrapping pipes is with heating cables. These cables are often used for exterior homes because they can be wrapped around the pipe outside without having to worry about the cold temperatures coming from inside your home (although you might want to get out there and wrap things if you live in a cold climate.) You can also use heating cables on interior pipes (though they could burn out over time.) Regardless of how you decide to wrap up your piping system, make sure any cables you use are flame-resistant and won’t easily melt or burn when exposed to sharp objects around them like nails or screws.
Keep an eye on exterior plumbing during extreme weather conditions
In extreme weather conditions, plumbing is not just for big emergencies anymore. When you find yourself in the middle of a winter storm or a blizzard, especially if it’s going to be a long time before it passes and you need to start your plumbing again, you need to use these 4 tips to prevent the biggest winter plumbing problems.
1 – Read the instructions on your faucet “You should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing new faucets and appliances. Before you begin work, read the part numbers on your faucet and make sure they match those on your new faucet.”
2 – Use a special adapter “An adapter is an accessory that can be used with any household water supply. It was never intended for use with plumbing systems in bathrooms or kitchens and should only be used for any small-diameter pipes that will fit in an adapter.”
3 – Use flexible hose clamps “Flexible hose clamps are made from nylon that has been treated with lubricant so they won’t slip when tightened. They are very strong and durable but are light so they can easily be carried when needed.”
4 – Have a large bucket or tub of ice “You should have plenty of small plastic containers (one bucket or tub per person) so everyone can have drinks while waiting out the storm.”
If a problem occurs, take action immediately
This is a typical customer complaint about an outdoor water heater.
The solution was to add a lot of extra insulation to the pipes and valves of the unit.
The customer didn’t know the pipes were insulated and thought it was just a bad design.
The solution is to be careful when making modifications to your existing unit and make sure you understand what you’re doing before you do it. You can save yourself some trouble by making sure you have a plan in place for any modifications you want to make and give yourself enough time to do so.
Contact a professional if the problem is too difficult to fix on your own
Your new home is almost ready for the winter and you are excitedly preparing to adjust your exterior plumbing. You are excited to take all your armor off, throw on some warmer clothes, turn on some Christmas lights, and unpack your gifts. But when it comes time to make the necessary adjustments and repairs, you find that the problem is too big for you to fix alone. Or worse yet, you can’t find anyone who will help you.
Who knows better than a plumber what it takes to get a proper installation? You can’t call a plumber; they won’t come unless they know what the problem is or if there is an emergency — and even if they do respond, they may not be able to fix the problem because of the size of their equipment or lack of experience in this field. As a result, many homeowners hire contractors who have experience in making these kinds of installations (or are trained by them) but who also charge exorbitant fees that make little sense when compared with their cost of doing business.
You can avoid falling into this trap by taking one simple step: contact a professional before you start any work yourself:
Call first for estimates on jobs that require specialized tools and equipment
Get recommendations from others about tradespeople who are experienced with this kind of job
Make sure there is someone who can assist you in these situations
What should be done if there has been unexpected damage?
Fix it yourself (even if there was no damage)
Repair it yourself (even if the repair costs more than replacing it)
If one option doesn’t work for any reason, try another one — but don’t try more than one at once or else be afraid that something will go wrong again. The most important thing is to keep calm and follow instructions carefully so as not to cause further damage {if possible}
