How To Properly Winterize Your Home & Prevent Frozen Pipes

It is time to winterize your home if you haven't already done so. Winterizing your house will keep it safe and comfortable during the harsh winter weather. Furthermore, it will save you from paying high energy costs. Anyone can benefit from winterizing their home. Even if weather forecasters claim that we are supposed to experience a mild winter this year, it is still a good idea to winterize your home before each and every winter. There are tips that you can follow if you want to winterize your home properly. This will guarantee that you protect your home while minimizing energy costs. In the following article by Times Free Press, they discuss some helpful tips on preparing your home for winter:

Business Bulletin: How to winterize your home for cold weather

 BBB offers the following tips for winterizing homes:

• Caulking and weather stripping. To prevent air leaks, homeowners should inspect the caulking around windows and doors to check for cracking and peeling. In addition, ensure that doors and windows are shut tightly and cold air is not coming in due to worn weather stripping.
• Ceiling fans. By reversing the direction of your ceiling fan so the blades turn clockwise at a low speed, you push warm air up and force it around the room.
• Heating ducts. Ducts should be inspected and cleaned periodically. Homeowners also should consider adding insulation to any exposed ductwork to prevent air heat loss.

To see the full "Times Free Press" article, click here.

This article offers some great guidelines that you can follow. Not only will these winterizing tips protect your home from the harsh, cold weather but it will save you money. If you put in a little time in now, you will save money later. One thing to consider when you winterize your home is your water pipes. The idea of your pipes freezing during the cold season is nothing new for homeowners. Anyone who has ever experienced it knows that it can be a huge problem if your pipe freezes and actually bursts. No one wants to have a live geyser inside of their house. There are tips that you can follow in order to prevent frozen pipes. In the following article titled "CPW: Time to weatherize plumbing as colder temperatures arrive" by GreerToday.com, they discuss this in further detail:

Pipe freezing prevention tips

• If leaving for the night or for a few days, set the thermostat no lower than 55 degrees. Ask friends or neighbors to check the house daily to make sure it's warm enough to prevent freezing.
• Shut off and drain the water system by turning the water off at the meter. However, doing so will deactivate a fire protection sprinkler system.
• Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas. Wrap pipes before temperatures drop with approved materials. Pipe wrapping materials can be found at hardware and building supply stores.
• Seal off access doors, air vents and cracks. Winter winds through overlooked openings can quickly freeze exposed water pipes.
• Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses to prevent freezing.  If pipes have frozen, open a faucet and wait until water begins flowing again. Listen for leaks — water expands when it freezes, which can cause leaks in pipes.  Leaving a pencil lead-thin stream of water flowing from faucets in unheated areas or against exterior walls may prevent pipes from freezing.
• Keeping the cabinet doors open to allow more home heat to reach the pipes underneath sinks and in cabinets may also help prevent freezing.

If you follow these tips, you can prevent from having to deal with frozen pipes. Frozen pipes are not the worst situation you can find yourself in. If a pipe is frozen for long enough and bursts, then that's when the real problem begins. Plumbing professionals claim that you can recognize a frozen pipe if the water pipe is coated in frost. Furthermore, if the water doesn't flow one of your faucets, then it is possible that you have a frozen pipe on your hands. Another way that you can tell if your pipes are frozen is if your toilet won't refill after you have flushed it. If you experience any of these situations, don't panic. It doesn't mean that you are inevitably going to deal with your pipes bursting. In the following article by HouseLogic, they discuss some useful tips that you can follow if you believe that you are dealing with frozen pipes:

How to thaw a frozen pipe

Before doing anything, shut off the water supply to that section of plumbing (or the entire house if that's the only option) because the real trouble begins after the thaw. That's because the frozen water may be acting as a plug, preventing water from spilling out of the cracks in your pipes. When that plug is thawed, water gushes out. It's a good idea to be ready with a mop, bucket, and towels in case there's a plumbing leak. "It's not the frozen pipes that really get plumbers' phones ringing," adds Abrams. "It's the thawing pipes that leak and spew water after a hard freeze." Use a space heater, heat lamp, or hair dryer to thaw the frozen length of pipe. Wrapping freezing pipes with thermostatically controlled heat tape (from $50 to $200, depending on length) is also an effective way to quickly thaw a trouble spot. Don't thaw pipes using a propane torch, which presents a fire risk. This section was originally found on the "HouseLogic" website which can be viewed here.

This article goes into detail on what you can do if you have a frozen pipe. It gives clear instructions on how to thaw a frozen pipe. It also gives us forewarning to make sure that you shut off your water supply in case your pipes do burst. If you happen to deal with a pipe that bursts, then be sure to call a plumber.

 

For a professional plumber in your area, Robinson Plumbing can assist you with any plumbing questions that you might have as well as address any of your plumbing needs. Robinson Plumbing is a local, family owned company that is known for trusted, quality service. Call us today at (610) 351-9889 or contact us for any questions that you might have!

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