With winter well on the way, it is important to prepare pipes for the cold weather ahead. Pipes that crack or burst when the water inside them freezes and expands can cause a flood of water in your home.
To avoid the mess, damage, and expense of pipes bursting in your home, take these steps to secure your plumbing system:
- Turn off your main water valve – You will likely find this near your water meter.
- Drain all extraneous water from your pipes – Attach a hose to your basement faucet or sillcock and drain the water so it flows outside your home. If you skip the step of pipe draining, the water trapped in them can still freeze and cause cracks or a burst pipe.
- Prepare the inside plumbing – Open all of your faucets and flush all of your toilets. Then close all of the faucets inside your home.
- Install an air compressor – Connect this to your basement faucet or to an open sillcock. Then blow air into your plumbing system at the rate of 70 pounds per square inch.
- Revisit the inside plumbing – When completed, reopen all of your sink faucets to blow the water out. Run your dishwasher and run hot and cold water through your washing machine to clear its lines. Open each toilet’s water valve so that the compressed air blows out water, then shut the valve.
- Propylene glycol application – Pour this into every sink and tub drain, then add a small bit to each of your toilet tanks. Make sure to drain any water from your boiler using a bucket for the excess and pump some propylene into the boiler via its pipes.
FloHawks Can Help
If you want to make certain that your pipes are properly prepared for the cold weather, contact us. Unless you want to risk burst pipes, preparing for the freezing and very cold temperatures and how this affects your pipes is not something you can skip. To have all of your pipe issues resolved, call FloHawks at (800) 356-4295 or use our convenient Schedule Your Service tool, which allows you to set an appointment that fits your schedule.
