When issues arise with your home’s plumbing, the results can vary between mildly inconveniencing to the kind of costly problems that can turn your entire household upside down. Plumbing problems disrupt the family’s schedule, but more than that, they can cause extensive damage to the home and cost lots of money to fix. Although it’s impossible to completely avoid any sort of plumbing disaster in the future, there are small daily steps that one can take to lessen the chances that a big problem will arise.
Check for leaks
Although small leaks in your home’s plumbing (under the sink, for example) are an easy fix, if they are left unattended they can quickly become a much bigger problem. To prevent this, schedule a regular check your plumbing system for signs of leaks. If you see signs (puddles of water, condensation, dampness, mold, etc.) find out where the leak is coming from and fix it ASAP.
Check your outdoor faucets
When summer comes to a close, it’s always a good idea to get your yard ready for the colder days ahead. This includes draining and insulating all of your outdoor faucets and pipes. Remove your garden hose and cover your faucets with covers designed for that purpose. If you have a built-in sprinkler system, now is the time to switch off the flow of water into the system. It is necessary to do all of these things because should water remain in your outdoor plumbing when the cold temperatures come around and then freeze, the pipes can expand and burst under the pressure. The resulting flood and other damage that can cause can add up to a very costly repair bill. By making draining your plumbing a routine part of your fall yard cleanup, you dramatically lessen the chances that you’ll be trudging outside in four feet of snow to deal with a burst pipe.
Do the same indoors
Just as it’s important to take care of your exterior pipes, the plumbing inside your house needs some TLC before the cold weather strikes, too. It’s not just exterior pipes that can freeze in cold weather; interior pipes can, too. If you are going to be away from home for an extended period of time over the winter, it’s a good idea to open up your faucets and let them drip a bit while you are away. This will keep the water flowing and won’t allow it to stay in the pipe long enough to freeze while you are away. Another precaution you can take is to open the cabinet doors that house your under-the-sink pipes. Doing so will expose the plumbing to the ambient heat in your home, which will also help to prevent them from freezing up.
There’s no question about it: Plumbing mishaps can be very costly. It’s always better to take the time to perform preventative measures than it is to have to worry about fixing problems as they arise. By being proactive, you can keep a small problem from becoming a much larger one. If you aren’t sure how to handle any of these preventative measures, call a Thorndale plumber today.