Preparing A Plumbing System For Winter

When winter weather blows into the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, homeowners should already have prepared their plumbing systems to withstand the frigid temperatures. However, failing to take action before that first blustery day could mean costly frozen water lines and a day or more with no running water in your home. To help ensure that their customers are not facing a dismal discovery, such as no water coming from a frozen faucet or leaking water from inside a wall, the Paul Bunyan team has created a simple to-do list to get your home’s plumbing system ready for winter.

Outdoor Chores To Prep For Winter

When the evenings are getting cool enough for a hoodie, or you are thinking about building a fire, it is time to shut down your outdoor water faucets and other water fixtures that could quickly freeze. Be sure to remove hoses and store them once fully drained. Leave the drained faucets open a little bit so that you will see water flowing if the shut-off valve is accidentally turned back on during the wintertime. If you cannot shut off the water to outdoor hose bibs, be sure to wrap the exposed fixture with insulation to avoid freeze damage and a leak.

Indoor Tips To Prepare For Winter

It is essential to understand that the temperature indoors can dip into dangerous territory in the extreme cold of a Minnesota winter. So you will need to take added precautions to protect the pipes inside your home or cabin that might not have constant heat or abundant heat this winter.

• Add pipe insulation to exposed water lines in a crawl space, basement, or other areas of the house that are not fully heated during the winter. Heating wraps can also be applied to pipes that could be exposed to freezing temperatures.
• Leave cabinet doors open to allow warm air to circulate freely under the sinks in all bathrooms and the kitchen. These few degrees of added warmth could be significant when nighttime temperatures plummet.
• If you have water lines installed in the garage or other outbuildings on the property, check the seals on the doors and around windows, then eliminate any added drafts that could cause the temperature in these spaces to drop and allow the water lines to freeze.
• Be sure to inspect and insulate any water lines in places that can typically suffer temperature variations, such as under the porch, in a well pit, in a crawl space or unheated basement, or meter or valve boxes. All of these areas can experience a temperature swing as the air temperature drops.

Get Advice And Help From The Pros

If you are unsure about preparing your home’s plumbing system for winter, the solution is a call to Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drain at 612-340-1444. This team of licensed plumbers is happy to answer any questions you might have and lend a hand if winterizing your home’s water lines is more complex for you to handle on your own. Be sure to check our coupon page for added savings on this or any service you might need.