subject: Home Plumbing Tips: Protecting Your Pipes In A Power Outage [print this page] When experiencing a lengthy power outage (one that can last days or weeks), you are most likely preoccupied with focusing on how to stay warm, get enough light to see by, and cook food. The least of your concerns would be how the power outage impacts your home plumbing, right?
Unfortunately, as most residential plumbers can attest, power outages can cause some serious home plumbing issues, especially in freezing temperatures. When your home is no longer circulating heat, water in your pipes can expand and freeze and may eventually cause the pipe to crack or burst. Even the smallest crack in your home plumbing can cause gallons of water to leak out into your house.
In order to protect your home plumbing during a power outage, and to prevent spending money on a professional plumber, here are some tips to follow:
Before a Power Outage
In order to be prepared for a power outage, it's a good idea to be in contact with a professional plumber who can show you the areas of your home plumbing that will be most susceptible to cracking and bursting, as well as advise you on how to prevent that from happening.
If you have a cistern or well that uses electric pumps, another idea for preparing for a power outage, aside from having a backup generator, is to store extra water in your emergency kit. This way you can stay hygienic and have water for washing hands, flushing the toilet, etc. Use plastic containers to store the water and boil it before drinking, preparing food, brushing teeth or washing hands.
After a Power Outage
Turn off all circuit breakers and refrain from plugging in or turning on any electronic equipment if any flooding from a burst pipe or torrential rains occurs. Call an electrician immediately. If there is any serious damage, also call your insurance company.
If a pipe did burst, make sure to shut off the water at the main valve and call a professional plumber, who can help locate the source of the leak.
Once everything has been checked out and fixed, do the following: For gas-powered water heaters, have your residential plumber or gas company relight the pilot light. For an electric pump water heater, refill the water before turning it back on.
Protecting Your Plumbing in an Evacuation
Evacuating your home may be necessary, if the situation is extreme enough. Before leaving, turn off the power to your home and shut off your home's main water valve. It's a good idea to cover the valve, meter and inlet pipes with insulating materials. Your next step will be to, starting from the top floor of your home, drain the water from the home plumbing. This involves you flushing the toilet a few times and opening the taps. Don't forget to drain the water valves that might be in your basement, including your hot water tank. Remove the hoses from your washing machine to protect it. A final touch is to add anti-freeze to any water that may remain in the toilets, sinks and bathtub traps.
Though we may take it for granted, home plumbing is an essential part of a house. In order to prevent damage or costly repairs after a storm or power outage, prepare the pipes and plumbing in your home.
