As we say goodbye to summer barbeques, family vacations, and fun in the sun, we say hello to work, school and we celebrate the fall. We have a lot to look forward to – pumpkin pie, apple cider, hot chocolate and of course the holidays!
As the weather gets colder, homeowners have some plumbing concerns to pay attention to. When it comes to the oncoming winter, from a plumbing perspective the biggest concern is freezing temperatures, ice, and related damage.
With it being the fall, you need to prepare for colder weather now, before the winter brings frigid temperatures, especially overnight. If you don’t prepare ahead of time, you could be in for some headaches and costly repairs once winter weather makes its debut.
Follow our fall plumbing tips to help you avoid a plumbing emergency once any ice, snow, or freezing temperatures arrive.
Getting Ready for Colder Weather
- Around the yard. Clear your hoses of water and store them in your garage or basement before the weather gets freezing cold. If a hose is connected and freezing, it could damage the faucet or the pipes, even causing it to break.
- Shut off the valves for outside faucets. If you have any, use the shutoff valves to cut off the water supply from outdoor spigots. If you don’t have such valves, make sure that the faucet isn’t leaking any water that could burst or freeze.
- Insulating faucets. If you have any outdoor-facing faucets or pipes, they should be insulated to protect them from freezing temperatures. If a pipe or faucet comes into direct contact with cold air, it can lead to freezing. This freezing can lead to broken pipes, flooding, and other plumbing disasters.
- Clean out the gutters. It’s always good to ensure that gutters are clean and ready to channel water away from your home. If water accumulates, it can lead to freezing, which can create breakages, roof damage, and flooding.
- Check your water heater. Since water heaters are used more during the colder months, it means they’re more stressed during the fall and winter. That’s why you want to ensure that it’s clean and ready to run before the winter arrives. This includes flushing it out to remove the sediment accumulated at the bottom of the water heater.
- Check your sump pump. As rainstorms come sweeping in, you want to ensure that your sump pump is 100% operational. Check to see that it’s working perfectly and the discharge line is clear. This small step can save you a lot in repair costs.
Schedule a service appointment with a Kansas City plumber!
If you run into a problem or would like to have a professional check all of your plumbing systems for the fall, contact A-1 Sewer & Septic Service Inc. today. We can gladly offer same-day and weekend service!
