Nov132019
Kanatawinterize your pipes

Winterizing Your Pipes & Home Prevention

If you have never entered your home and discovered that your pipe has burst while you’ve been away, I’m sure you know someone who has had this awful experience. It’s a reality everyone in the Kanata area can face in the winter months if your pipes aren’t ready to handle the cold. Here at John THE Plumber we care to help you keep your home safely maintained, and have decided to blog on a few prevention tips that will help winterize your pipes and plumbing.

Winterize Exposed Pipes!

If your pipes happen to freeze with some water still inside of them, the expanded water can cause fissures, breaks and cracks especially in exterior pipes or pipes that are found in cooler spaces like your basement or attic. The ones leading out to garden hoses in the backyard or garage are the most common culprits; installing insulation on these pipes individually can aid greatly in keeping them warm.

winterize your pipes

Taking a Vacation? Shut Off Your Main Water Supply!

Heading to the beach and leaving the cold behind for a bit? Keep your furnace running at 16 degrees, that should maintain enough heat in your pipes to keep them from freezing – and shut your main water supply off. Open up all your taps and make sure there is no water remaining inside. Doing small things like this before you leave could save you from coming home to an expensive plumbing bill due to burst pipes, not to mention having to deal with your insurance company and the entire headache in general.

Replenish Your Water Heater!

Your hot water heater should receive a little TLC prior winter’s arrival as well on an annual basis. The water coming into your home will be colder so your water heater will require more energy to heat up. For this reason alone it’s good to flush and refill the tank in the fall to rid it of sediment build up from over the year. People definitely take longer baths and showers in the winter, and doing a full flush of your tank will keep it running at an optimal level. John THE Plumber now offers HVAC Services! If you feel it’s time to re-evaluate and/or decide whether you need water heater give us a call and we’ll send a licensed professional over to provide an expert opinion.

HVAC Services Ottawa Plumbers

Check Your Sump Pump!

Something else to prepare for is the big thaw that comes after a deep winter. You need to make sure your sump pump is running efficiently and is ready to tackle the springtime thaw in Kanata. High amounts of snow melting combined with heavy rain can send your sump pump into overdrive; you need to ensure it is running well, especially if you are in a known area for high flooding.

To discover more on the full range of plumbing services offered by our Kanata-based John the Plumber, please call our offices today at 613-509-1320 or visit our business website at johntheplumber.ca/kanata

TIP: A battery backup for your sump pump will go a long way as well for peace of mind!

Category: Kanata
Tags: