A water pipe bursting in your home can put you on a one-way flight to ‘Devastation Nation’. One of the primary causes of a busted pipe happens in the colder months when water within the pipe freezes and expands until…BAM!
Luckily, there are three steps you can take to protect your pipes from the cold and greatly decrease your chances of a busted pipe.
3 DIY Tips to Protect Your Pipes from Winter Weather
Tip 1: INSULATE ALL EXTERIOR WATER PIPES
Do a walk around the property to identify all water pipes. If any of these aren’t insulated, you’ll need to do so appropriately. Sometimes people will wrap these pipes with towels, but this can make your situation worse if there’s precipitation, causing the towels to become wet and subsequently freeze. This is exactly what we’re trying to avoid, so let’s leave the towels in the laundry bin. It’s recommended that you use insulation designed for exterior pipes. You’ll also want to cover exterior faucets with a faucet cover. Simply place the loop around the faucet and then pull it taut, holding the cover in place. You can find exterior pipe insulation and faucet covers at your local home improvement store.
Tip 2: CRANK UP THE HEAT
The second way to protect your pipes from freezing is running your heater, whether you’re home or not. Keeping your home at a reasonable temperature at all times will greatly reduce the chance of frozen pipes. This is not the time to try to save a few bucks at the thermostat. what you’ll spend on heat pales in comparison to the catastrophe that you’re avoiding.
Tip 3: LET’ ER DRIP
Ever seen a flowing river and a frozen pond in the same snowy, cold environment? This happens because moving water is less prone to freezing than still water. The same concept applies to your pipes. To be extra safe, run all interior faucets at a slow drip. This will keep water circulating in your home’s pipes, making it less likely to freeze.
That’s it! Three simple steps for protecting your pipes from cold weather, and in turn protecting life’s biggest investment – your home.