Don’t Wait Until the Temperature Drops to Prepare Your Home for Winter

From the Town of Leesburg:

LEESBURG, VA – Despite the balmy weather this past weekend, colder temperatures are on their way. Now is the perfect time to get your home ready for winter. When planning for freezing temperatures, don’t forget about your plumbing system.

When the water inside your pipes freezes, it expands, but the pipes don’t, they break instead. When the ice melts, the break in your pipe remains and you have a water leak. In addition to the cost and hassle of repairing the broken pipe, you may have other water damage in your home. Freezing temperatures, even for a short period of time, can lead to broken water pipes. Although the Leesburg area does not experience sustained below-freezing temperatures throughout winter, we do get occasional dips into temperatures that can cause damage to water pipes.

Most winter plumbing problems can be prevented with a little effort in advance. The Leesburg Department of Utilities suggests that you take the following steps now to avoid costly broken pipes this winter:

· Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.

· Always keep your thermostat at a minimum of 55 degrees or above.

· If you will be away from home for an extended time, shut off the water supply and drain the system.

· Turn off the water to outdoor spigots and drain the spigots. Each spigots should have a shutoff valve, usually located inside.

· Install insulated spigot covers. For a permanent solution, consider replacing outdoor faucets with freeze proof versions.

· Drain and store garden hoses.

· Wrap exposed pipes with foam insulation. Pipes that run through attics, crawl spaces and along exterior walls all have the potential to burst in subfreezing weather. Foam insulation for water pipes can be found at any home improvement or hardware store. The foam is typically split down the middle so it can be easily wrapped around the exposed pipes.

· Cover foundation vents to keep the crawl space from losing additional heat. Seal cracks in doors, windows and foundations.

For tips on preventing frozen pipes when the freezing temperatures are in the forecast, click here.

Image via Shutterstock.