Winter Plumbing Tips for 2023

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December 01, 2022

Winter can be brutal on plumbing. If you don’t take the right preventive measures, you could end up with burst pipes, poor water heater performance, and many other problems.
At Sunshine Plumbers in Tampa, we take pride in offering reliable plumbing services, including plumbing installations, plumbing repair service, and maintenance. In this article, we will provide you with a few simple things you can do to prepare your plumbing for winter.

1. Insulate Your Pipes

Preventing frozen pipes is as simple as adding pipe insulation. Simply purchase insulation tubes made from fiberglass or polyethylene and wrap them around the exterior of your pipes to protect them from freezing. Ensure you insulate all pipes running through unheated areas of your home, as well as those running along outside walls. Make sure the entire length of the pipes is covered in insulation. If you don’t have experience with pipe insulation, call a plumber to help you out.

2. Know Where Your Main Shutoff Valve Is

You should know where the main water shut-off valve is located in your home and how to turn it off as part of your preparedness to deal with a plumbing emergency such as a burst pipe. Despite your efforts to winterize your home’s plumbing, sometimes pipes can burst when the temperatures plummet below freezing. Knowing where your main shutoff valve is located ahead of time can help you prevent serious water damage. The location of the main water shut-off valve can vary by house. It can be located where the water main enters your home, at the edge of your property on the street side, or in the basement. If you can’t locate your home’s water main shut-off valve, call a nearby plumber to help you find it.

3. Have Your Water Heater Checked

Your water heater is more important during winter than any other time of the year, so you need to make sure it’s in good working order to cut the risk of breaking down when cold weather sets in. We recommend having a professional plumber inspect the anode rod and flush drain your water heater to flush out sediment buildup. It’s also recommended that you set your water heater’s temperature at 125 or lower.

4. Seal Off Your Crawl Space

If you have plumbing pipes running through your crawl space, it’s advisable to seal off any vents that may allow cold air to enter the space. You should also insulate your garage door to prevent cold air from entering the garage.

5. Fix Any Leaks

Pipe leaks not only hike your monthly water bills, but they can also cause more expensive damage if the pipes burst. When the water in your pipes freezes and the pipes expand, they are more likely to burst at the weak points. You should have a plumber inspect your pipes for leaks before the cold weather sets in.

Need Help with Winterizing Your Plumbing? Call Sunshine Plumbers

Sunshine Plumbers is a professional plumbing company offering a wide range of dependable services for residential and commercial customers. Whether you need help with pipe insulation, leak detection, leak repair, water heater inspection, or plumbing repair service, you can rely on our experienced plumbers to provide you with dependable services.

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