When we think of fall home maintenance, we often think of putting away the patio furniture, clearing out the gutters, and stocking up on leaf bags. You probably even make it habit to have preventative maintenance performed on your home heating system. But if you’re like most people, the farthest thing from your mind this time of year is your home’s plumbing. After all, plumbing isn’t really affected by the change of seasons, right? Wrong.
You see, dipping temperatures and increased precipitation can wreak havoc on your home’s plumbing system. But with a little preventive maintenance, you can rest easy all fall, winter, and early spring long.
- Drafty spots in your home not only let cold air in but can damage your pipes. Seal off cracks and gaps near plumbing pipes with appropriate weather-stripping materials, especially in uninsulated areas of your home like garages, crawlspaces, and attics.
Prepare outdoor faucets, spigots, and hoses for downtime. Drain and disconnect hoses and store them away for the season. And don’t forget to drain the water from your outdoor fixtures and shut off water valves.
- Inspect rooms with exposed plumbing pipes and insulate them if necessary. Uninsulated pipes are at risk of freezing when exposed to cold air.
- Inspect your sump pump. When exposed to extreme cold, your sump pump can actually freeze, which in turn prevents it from operating. This can lead to flooding and water damage when precipitation is heavy.
- Fix leaky faucets. If you have ignored that pesky drip-drip all summer long, there’s no time to fix it like the present. Inspect all faucets and visible pipes in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, and any other areas of your home. Check for signs of water leaks near water-using appliances, remembering that the leak could be slowly accumulating beneath the appliance – out of sight, but still causing structural damage.
If you want to breathe nice and easy as we head towards winter, contact Eagle Service Company today and request our whole-house plumbing inspection. We’ll let you know if you have any problem areas to be addressed. And, at your request, we’ll give you a guaranteed upfront price to make any and all problems disappear.
