Keep Working Pipes in Your Home This Winter

One of the most stressful problems of winter is the possibility of frozen pipes. Are your pipes ready for the coming season? It's always worthwhile to review all your home's pipes every heating season to ensure that they can hold up to freezing temperatures when they occur. Let's have a look at some of the measures you may want to take to protect your pipes so you can ensure they remain working pipes during and beyond the cold spell.

Ensuring Working Pipes

The pipes most vulnerable to freezing are those located in a northern exterior wall. This could be bathroom or kitchen pipes or pipes that serve some other purpose. Pipes in basements, garages, the attic, and outside may also freeze. Here are ways to keep them from freezing.

1. When a hard freeze threatens, wrap exposed pipes in insulation. You can acquire insulation sleeves from the home store. Heat tape wrapped around the pipes is also effective. Place a protective cover on outdoor faucets.

2. Close up minute holes and cracks around pipes that travel through an exterior wall. Otherwise, cold air from even the tiniest cracks may cause pipes to freeze. Use caulk or insulation.

3. When a cold-weather event is imminent, leave open cabinet doors where pipes are located to be sure warm air gets inside.

4. Turn on faucets, allowing water to run at a slow drip. With water running through the pipes, they are less likely to freeze.

5. If you normally set the thermostat a few degrees lower overnight, it's best to change your routine and bump the thermostat setting upward to ensure the house stays warm.

6. For particularly vulnerable pipes — say, in the garage or basement — you might want to turn on a space heater.

7. Going away during the cold spell? Don't set your thermostat lower than 55 degrees. Have someone check on your home to make sure the heating is working and that no pipes have frozen.

For more on maintaining working pipes, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area to make sure homeowners have working pipes and everything else they need when it comes to their HVAC system.

What Impact Does the Fall Have on Your Home Plumbing?

The fall can give your plumbing system a cold welcome. As temperatures become cooler, there are certain plumbing complications that homeowners tend to encounter. Failure to address the issues could lead to costly repairs during the holidays. Let's go through these fall plumbing problems.

Drain Blockage

If your sink is throwing tantrums in the fall, the leaves in your yard may be to blame. Fallen leaves can enter your drainage system and clog it easily. Traffic, winds, and rains are some of the factors that can play a significant role in piling up those leaves and pushing them into your drainage system. A professional plumber can easily solve this problem by changing your drain cover so that the problem doesn't recur.

Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes commonly occur in the winter. However, this problem can also occur in the fall as temperatures begin to drop. Water expands when it freezes, which can make your pipes burst.

You can prevent frozen pipes by having a plumber insulate your pipes, for example, with a pipe sleeve. Installing a heat cable or heat tape on exposed pipes will also help.

Water Heater Malfunction

In the fall, the incoming water is colder. When cold water enters your heater, the result could be a temperature drop of around 25 degrees. As you use hot water, cold water gets into the tank. This creates the need for the heater to heat the water constantly.

With the water heater now operating beyond its normal capacity, the chances of it malfunctioning increase. You can save yourself from this issue by having a plumber inspect and insulate all your water heater's pipes.

Fall means the holiday season is approaching. Be sure to take the necessary steps to prevent a plumbing disaster down the line. For more information on avoiding fall plumbing issues, contact Air Assurance. We offer plumbing services such as inspections and emergency repairs to homeowners in the Broken Arrow area.

Best Frozen Pipe Prevention Methods

Winters in Broken Arrow are relatively mild, but there are still some cold days. That means you still need to take steps to prepare your home for lower temperatures. In particular, you need to protect your pipes. Anytime the temperature drops below 32 degrees, they're in danger of freezing. Here are three of the best methods of frozen-pipe prevention you can use.

Insulation

Any exposed pipes, both indoors and outdoors, should be insulated. There are insulating sleeves you can put on them, which prevent the cold from getting in, or you can wrap them in heat cables or heat tape, which actively warm the pipes to prevent freezing.

Regulate Your Home Temperature

Perhaps the best method of frozen-pipe prevention is keeping your home warm enough. As long as it's kept above 32 degrees, there shouldn't be any problem.

Weatherstrip your home to keep heat in. Seal any air leaks that could cause warm air to leak out or cold air to leak in, making your house colder. Make sure there's enough insulation in your attic as well, to keep the heat in your home.

Finally, open the doors to any cabinets that have pipes in them: in the bathroom, below the kitchen sink, etc. This will help make sure warm air reaches them and keeps the water flowing.

Focus on Water

Being aware of the water is a good step toward preventing freezing. When the temperature starts to drop, drain any hoses outdoors that might have water in them. Then, turn on each of your faucets just slightly, until there's a small but steady trickle of water coming from them. As long as the water is moving, it will be more difficult to freeze.

If your pipes do freeze, wrap them in a heating pad or other heat source. Leave the faucet on, as once the water starts flowing again, it will help the ice to melt faster. If it still won't thaw, call a plumber.

For more tips on frozen-pipe prevention, contact us at Air Assurance. Broken Arrow's home-comfort needs are our No. 1 priority.