Dealing With Winter Plumbing Problems

The winter months present some special issues to plumbing due to the extremely low

temperatures - including backed up septic lines, frozen pipes and broken heaters. Being in a cold part of the country, Fairfax plumbers have a particularly difficult challenge due to the geography and geological profile of the area. However, with a little preparation, homeowners in Northern Virginia can avoid many of the usual winter plumbing problems. Listed below are some suggestions by Fairfax plumbers on what winter plumbing issues to prepare for before the winter months to help prevent emergencies.

Have your septic tanks drained before winter

As Fairfax plumbers will tell you, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is making sure your septic tank is not ready for the winter. An overfull septic tank can become blocked during the winter, and trust us, this is something that you do not want happening at any time - much less during the winter months when you cannot escape outdoors to avoid the mess and plumbers may not be able to immediately come to your rescue. Even when they do, accessing the cesspool will be extremely difficult due to the frozen ground. Waste overflowing into your house is not only messy, it is downright unsanitary and dangerous to your familys health. You can save yourself a great deal of trouble and expense if you have your septic tank serviced before winter comes.

Winterize your outside fixtures that will not be in use

One of the simplest way to prevent winter plumbing emergencies is to winterize your outdoor fixtures that will not be used during the winter months - such as sprinkler systems, pools pipelines, and outdoor toilets. Winterizing your fixtures simply means draining and cutting off the water supply to these pipes. You can do this yourself or hire a professional who has access to professional tools such as air compressors to blow out water lines, ensuring that all the water is removed from the pipes.

Insulate exposed outdoor pipes

To prevent frozen pipes that may ultimately crack or break, homeowners need to insulate outdoor exposed pipes that are in use. Protecting your pipes with pipe insulation and sealing them from the elements with heat tape will minimize the risk of your pipes freezing. Make sure that you perform a daily check to determine that the water has not frozen in the pipes. Letting hot water flow through the pipes for a few moments will help keep them working smoothly. For indoor exposed pipes, Fairfax plumbers suggest allowing indoor heat to circulate throughout the rooms by keeping inside doors open to prevent them from freezing.

Remember, when it comes to plumbing emergencies, prevention is key. A few simple tasks that you can perform yourself can help prevent major plumbing emergencies and having a miserable winter.

by: Sarah Saadoun

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