subject: 5 Ways To Avoid Plumbing Problems And Frozen Pipes [print this page] Solutions as simple as anti-freeze and a little forethought can prevent plumbing problems, water outages, hot water shortages and particularly added cost. It's cooling down in Colorado so before you settle in for your winter's nap, make sure you'll rest easy by avoiding plumbing troubles.
The most important thing to do for unused plumbing fixtures is to drain them or blow them out accordingly. If it is a sprinkling system or something of the like, you can use compressed air to force the remaining water out. For vacant homes during the winter, drain all water from all pipes, including the water tank and toilet. Then pour in antifreeze and you have just avoided major risk of frozen pipes. Clear out water from disconnected hoses as well, because any remaining water will most likely freeze.
The plumbing you will be using throughout the winter can be more important and more difficult to protect. Simply checking the level of your septic tank to make sure it is not too full can prevent a mess because once it is too full and buried under snow and frozen ground, it is more expensive to treat and if the problem persists it can cause a stoppage in the main line.
You and your family do not want to enter hot shower season with a hot water heater that is less than par. If you feel a decrease in hot water at all, or even if you just want to be certain you won't, change the heating element yourself or hire a professional to help you. If you ignore or fail to notice when the first heating element goes out, it may be just a matter of time before it goes out completely. And that would be a major fire drill.
Look thoroughly for exposed pipes outside your home and apply insulation to them. If it is not done correctly, the pipes will most likely still burst in extreme cold. Put the insulation around the pipe and seal tightly. You can also use an electric wire, called heat tape, that you wrap around the pipes and then plug in in order to heat them.
By now you are probably exhausted so it's time to impart the wisdom of the simplest save of all, which is opening your kitchen cabinets. For sinks up agains cold, exterior walls, all you need to do is open the kitchen cabinets to allow the warm air in your home to get to the pipes.
When in doubt, call a professional because preventative plumbing is always less expensive than post-problem plumbing and nothing is worse than having the hot water out during a blizzard.
