Barrhaven Winter Checklist
Canadian winters are fierce and Barrhaven is not immune to this. Most people who have never experienced these freezing temperatures don’t comprehend how hard winters can be, and if you have just moved here there is a good chance you are unaware of what is actually coming. Your home and its plumbing needs to be prepared to handle winter, and here at John The Plumber Barrhaven we have provided some tips to help ensure that you’re ready.
Inspect Your Home!
A visual inspection in the fall is the first preventative measure that we suggest. Go to your basement and look up and around at any and all exposed pipes. Do this BEFORE the snow and frost hits as you will be able to see water dripping and/or leaking. Repair any leaks you see and tighten up any shut off valves as well.
Everybody Insulate!
Temperatures drop here to the point that pipes can freeze very easily; the pipes that run on your exterior walls or the ones that run to your outdoor taps are usually the first ones to become frozen. Poor insulation in a Barrhaven home can pretty much guarantee you’re going to have a problem. If you go away on vacation, ensure your home remains at a warm enough temperature so that your house remains protected from disaster striking. Sounds dramatic we know, but even with Insurance to cover you, the deductible can be quite high, and you can truly wind up with a very unpleasant situation. Some pipes will require extra insulation to prevent this, but you will thank your own self for taking the time to do so.
Hot Water Tank – Water Change!
Your hot water tank will develop sediment and build up over time which can interfere with it running efficiently. Draining and refilling your water heater annually before the cold hits is a very good move. We also want you to know it isn’t the temperature of the water you want to check, it’s the mixing valve.
DON’T forget about your sump pump!
Nobody really thinks about the sump pump – until it isn’t working properly. Thaws and heavy rainfall in Barrhaven can easily overwhelm a sump pump system if it’s not running optimally. Serious and expensive problems can escalate very quickly if your basement begins flooding due to your sump pump not working. Maintaining your sump pump as well as your weeping tile on a regular basis to ensure everything is flowing properly is very important to avoid problems during a deep freeze.
