Winterizing Your Pipes in Utah
If you’re in the Utah area, you surely know how cold the winters can be. We have been providing plumbing services for 40 years, and we want to help you winterize your pipes. You can always count on our team of experienced, professional plumbers for broken pipe repair, but we know you’d rather avoid it in the first place. We’re here for you in the event of a burst pipe and can help you avoid water damage and potential mold growth. Winterizing your home helps prepare it for freezing temperatures and the damage they can cause, including leaks and breaks. As water freezes, it expands. This creates pressure inside your home’s pipes. This scenario can lead to damage, which often results in costly repairs. Burst pipes are a nightmare for homeowners but winterizing them can help you avoid this issue.
Reasons to Winterize Your Home
Winterizing your home doesn’t mean putting out your holiday décor, although that’s certainly something you can do to make the cold winters a bit brighter. You may already have a few questions like “why do I need to winterize my home?”, “what does winterizing my pipes mean?”, and “do I really need to do this?”. We’ll explain why you should winterize your pipes and how to do so. Remember that we’re here for you in the event that you do experience any plumbing issues, no matter the time of year.
Freezing Pipes – It’s not uncommon to experience low temperatures that are below freezing in Utah. These cold winters mean a higher chance of your pipes freezing. Frozen pipes tend to burst, which could result in flooding and costly repairs. Winterizing your pipes will help you avoid these problems.
Flooding – Those frozen pipes from not winterizing your home can result in bursting, leading to flooding inside your home. Floods can destroy flooring and property, and they cost a lot of money to clean up. Mold can also become an issue when flooding occurs.
Saving Money – You might spend a little bit of time and money to winterize your home, but you’ll likely save a lot in the long run. You could save thousands of dollars on repair costs if your pipes are ready for the brutal cold of the winter.
Keeping Critters Out – Those critters may look cute, but they have no place in your home. When you seal your pipes, you’ll keep bugs and animals out of your home. Your pipes can act as an entry point for small critters to come in out of the cold.
Give Yourself the Gift of Winterized Pipes
One of the most significant parts of the winter are the holidays that come with it. Many people aren’t aware that Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for plumbers. It’s not uncommon for lots of food and grease to find their way down the drain and garbage disposal, sometimes resulting in clogged kitchen pipes. One thing you can do is to avoid pouring fats down the drain. These liquid fats solidify in your pipes, creating clogs. Use a sink strainer, which prevents food from going into your pipes. Avoid putting items like banana peels, eggshells, poultry skins, and pumpkin pulp down the drain as well. Hard-to-grind foods are not properly shredded by disposals. When you do use your garbage disposal, be sure to run cold water for about 20 seconds both before and after you run the disposal. If you have multiple houseguests staying with you, wait at least 10 minutes between showers to allow drains to clear. These tips can make your holiday gatherings a bit more pleasant!
How to Winterize Your Pipes
Now that you know why winterizing your pipes is so important, it’s time to get started. The process doesn’t take much time and doesn’t need to be done until about a week before the first freeze is expected. Keep an eye on the weather report, but this typically happens during November in Orem and Draper, UT. There are many things you can do to winterize your home, and we’ve prepared information on how to perform each one of them.
Pipe Insulation – While freezing weather can damage your pipes, the worst damage comes when temperatures drop to 20°F or below. Insulating your pipes is the first line of defense against freezing temperatures. You should insulate your pipes that are located in all unheated areas because they’re the most likely to freeze. You can purchase insulation and tools at a hardware or plumbing supply store. Wrap your pipes in insulation tubes made of fiberglass or polyethylene. To ensure you buy the correct size of tube, measure the outside diameter of your pipes. Be extra careful with any pipes that have frozen previously or have been repaired in the past year. You can also wrap pipes in heat tape before adding insulation for an extra layer of protection. However, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, so you don’t cause damage.
Dripping Faucets – You may have heard this trick before. You might not like wasting water but leaving a dripping faucet on could help you save money by preventing your pipes from freezing and bursting. On evenings when the temperature is going to drop below freezing, turn on your faucets along the exterior walls. You only need a small, steady drip coming out of them to eliminate pressure from building up and ice blockages from forming.
Opening Cabinets – One way to reduce the chances of frozen pipes is by introducing more heat. You can do this by opening all your sink-based cabinet doors that are along exterior walls.
Fixing Exterior Cracks – Inspect your home’s outside walls and foundation for any cracks or holes. Fill them with caulking or spray foam insulation to stop cold air from contacting your water pipes.
Sealing Off Crawl Spaces – Don’t forget about your home’s crawl spaces. If your home has a ventilated crawl space, you should seal it against the cold weather by covering your vents with heavy-duty pieces of cardboard and using duct tape to hold it in place. You’ll also want to seal off access to the crawl space. If your home has a basement, check for cracked windows. Also check your garage and utility doors for worn or missing insulation.
Use a Frost-Free Hose Bib – This is an excellent long-term investment. Frozen hose bibs can not only be costly if they burst but could also become quite dangerous. Upgrading to a frost-free hose bib can protect you from severe damage and save you money over the long haul.
Install Hose Bib Covers – Don’t forget about hose bib covers when you upgrade to a frost-free hose bib. This is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to protect your faucets and hose bibs. It’s easy to do and doesn’t take long at all. You can purchase covers at your local home improvement store for a few dollars.
Close Foundation Vents – If you have vents that lead into your home’s foundation, it’s recommended that you keep them closed during the winter. This will help prevent your home’s water line from freezing and will also keep the area inside the crawl space warm. These vents are easy to close if you have installed louvers, but if not, you can add them or use a screen to cover the vents.
Winterize Irrigation System – Any water not drained out of your irrigation system can freeze, expand, and crack pipes. To prevent this from occurring, you’ll have to remove that water before temperatures begin dropping. You can do this via the auto drain, a manual drain, or a blowout. The blowout method is recommended for homeowners who are unfamiliar with their irrigation system or how to drain it. This service can be performed by a licensed contractor.
Reliable Plumbing Services from Parley’s PPM Plumbing Heating & Cooling
No matter what type of plumbing services you need, you can count on the team at Parley’s PPM Plumbing Heating & Cooling . All homeowners can benefit from our check-up service. One of our licensed plumbing contractors will visit your property. They’ll check your water quality and the status of your pipes. If we find something that doesn’t look quite right, we’ll figure out the best course of action to correct it. Preventative plumbing is a great way to save money on repairs before they are necessary. We can also organize a maintenance plan to keep your home’s plumbing running as efficiently as possible. If your home or commercial property has had broken water pipes or backed-up sewer lines before, we can come take a closer look and address potential problems before they occur. In the event that something goes wrong, we can fix it.
What Makes Us the Best Choice for Plumbing
Our team provides comprehensive plumbing solutions. We offer unbeatable services at affordable prices. We’ll come to your property quickly and repair your broken water pipes to prevent further damage from happening. We can also perform home re-piping services for older homes in need of it. Our team also specializes in other plumbing services, including sewer lines, water heaters, drain cleaning, water softeners, and more. We’re available 24 hours a day for emergency plumbing, whether it’s related to frozen and burst pipes or any other circumstances. Customer satisfaction is always 100% guaranteed, and we offer flat rate upfront pricing. As a local family-owned business, we’ve been proudly serving Utah for 40 years. We also service all heating and AC brands and are Rocky Mountain Natural Gas certified. Our team is background checked and trained on customer care. Contact us today to learn more about winterizing your home or to schedule service.
