As the long, hot days of summer give way to the crisp, cool air of autumn, our home maintenance to-do list naturally begins to shift. We clean out the gutters, we put away the patio furniture, and we get our yards ready for the dormant season. But of all these important tasks, none is more critical for preventing a costly and destructive disaster than preparing your home’s plumbing for the freezing temperatures to come.
A single burst pipe, caused by water freezing and expanding, can release hundreds of gallons of water into your home, causing thousands of dollars in damage to your floors, drywall, and personal belongings. While some winterizing steps are simple DIY tasks, a comprehensive inspection from a professional residential plumber is the best way to ensure your home is fully protected.
To prevent a winter water catastrophe, here is a simple checklist to follow as the weather turns colder.
Disconnect and Drain Your Outdoor Hoses
This is the easiest and single most important step you can take. Before the first hard freeze, you must disconnect all of your garden hoses from your outdoor spigots.
If a hose is left attached, any water trapped inside it can freeze and expand. This pressure can travel back into the pipe inside your wall, causing a crack or a burst in a place you can’t see. Then, in the spring, when you turn that spigot on for the first time, you can have a major, hidden leak pouring water into your wall cavity. After you disconnect your hoses, let them drain completely and store them in a garage or a shed for the winter.
Insulate All Exposed Pipes
The pipes that are most vulnerable to freezing are the ones that are located in unheated or uninsulated areas of your home. Take a walk through your property and identify any exposed water supply lines in your crawl space, unfinished basement, attic, and garage.
For these pipes, you can purchase simple and inexpensive foam pipe insulation sleeves from any hardware store. These are pre-slit tubes of foam that you can easily cut to size and slip over the pipes, providing a crucial layer of protection against the cold air.
Seal Up Air Leaks
A freezing pipe is often caused not just by the ambient cold but by a direct, cold draft blowing on it. Sealing up the air leaks in your home’s foundation and exterior walls can make a huge difference. Use caulk or an expanding spray foam to seal any cracks or holes, paying special attention to the areas where your utility lines, like water pipes and electrical conduits, enter the house. This not only protects your pipes but also makes your home more energy-efficient.
Know Where Your Main Water Shut-Off Is
This is your emergency preparedness plan. In a worst-case scenario where a pipe bursts, you need to be able to shut off the water to your entire house immediately to minimize the damage. The time to find your main water shut-off valve is on a calm fall afternoon, not in the middle of a frantic, watery emergency.
Locate the valve, and make sure every responsible member of your household knows where it is and how to turn it off. It’s typically located where the main water line enters your home.
Schedule a Professional Water Heater Flush
Your water heater works hard all year, but it’s under the most strain during the winter. Over time, sediment and mineral deposits can build up at the bottom of the tank. This layer of sediment can reduce your water heater’s efficiency (making it work harder and use more energy) and can even lead to corrosion and a shorter lifespan for the unit.
Having a professional plumber flush the tank as part of a fall tune-up is a smart, proactive step. It removes this harmful sediment, improves the unit’s efficiency, and ensures it’s in top condition to handle the higher demands of winter. This kind of regular maintenance is important to a long and efficient service life.
A small investment of time in the fall is the best way to prevent a massive, stressful, and expensive plumbing disaster in the middle of winter.