Tips To Prepare For Winter

Winter time is right around the corner and it is a great time to start preparing your home for the harsh weather. This short blog post will provide a few tips to help you get ready before it is too late. Some of these tips may seem like common sense however many of us forget to do them. When that happens, costly repairs may be needed, including plumbing repairs. John C. Flood wrote an article that was published on WJLA ABC 7's website titled, "Fall Plumbing: Tips and Tricks". He does a great job talking about basic items that need to be addressed. Here is a small snippet of his article:

Disconnect Your Water Hoses from Faucets Get those hoses off the faucets before they freeze! Even better, get your hoses clear of water and into your garage or basement before the winter freeze hits them. A connected/freezing hose could damage the faucet or pipes - or even cause it to break. Shut Off Valves for Outside Faucets If you have them, use shutoff valves to cut all water off from your outdoor spigots. If you don't have valves, just make sure the faucet is not dripping or leaking any water that could freeze and burst and cause breakage. Cover & Insulate Faucets Outdoor-facing faucets and pipes should be covered (and ideally insulated) to protect them from the bitter cold. The direct contact between a pipe/faucet and the air can lead to rapid temperature decreases and freezing. And this freezing can quickly lead to a broken pipe, related flooding and other disasters. View the entire article here: http://wjla.com/sponsored/johncflood/fall-plumbing-tips-and-tricks

We can't tell you how often we're called out to someone's home to repair a frozen pipe only to find out that to cause was the failure to disconnect the exterior hose, turn off the hose bib or lack of insulating the outdoor faucet.  This is a very simple maintenance item that should be done prior to Thanksgiving. And, it may save you a couple hundred dollars of un-needed repairs. Alison Mastrangelo, a news anchor on FOX21 News, did a special report on getting ready for winter and she has some interesting points that she makes in the brief news clip: Allison's complete article is available here: http://fox21news.com/2015/10/21/tips-to-make-sure-your-house-is-ready-for-winter/ We specialize in plumbing repairs and installation of new plumbing fixtures however we also want to make sure that you are completely prepared for winter. Some simple home maintenance tasks and inspections will save a lot of headache, if done before any problems arise. Here is a tip regarding your windows, skylights and roofing that was part of an article titled, "Don't Get Stuck In The Gutter: Expert Tips For Winterizing Your Home"

Mike DeSiervi, of Top-Notch Construction, suggests starting off by cleaning out the gutters — preferably by hand. He also suggests getting your roof inspected for damage, as well as pruning nearby trees that could break under the weight of snow and ice. But it's not just the outside that needs preparation. Experts say you need to check the area around the door and around all of your windows and sky lights for air leaks, CBS2's Elise Finch reported. "The skylight will leak and because your have insulation in your roof — it will act like a diaper in the sense that it will hold that water," DeSiervi said. "That will cause mold and other things." The entire article can be found here: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/10/19/winter-home-tips/

As you can see, these items do not require a lot of work or time yet the can save lots of money by implementing some simple preventative maintenance. If you need any help with plumbing related issues, feel free to contact us at: (610) 351-9889

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