Quick, simple plumbing winterization tips to prevent frozen pipes
Thursday, October 27th, 2011That first frost of the season – and sometimes the second and third – always seems to come quicker than expected. Make sure those garden hoses are disconnected from outdoor faucets and that the basement is heated adequately for winter.
DENVER, CO – That annual transition from the hot summer to the beautiful fall – all the more spectacular in Colorado in 2011 – is such a wonderful time, and if you’re like most people there was a little voice in the back of your mind telling you to clean the furnace filter, blow out the sprinkler system and remove the garden hoses from the outdoor faucets before the first frost.
But of course you thought that was weeks and weeks away.
Then there was the October 25th snow fall, the temperature drop to 12 degrees F on the morning of October 27th, then the second snow storm one week later and another hard freeze, with another due over the weekend. And all of those “get ready for winter” things still need to be done.
It’s a little unusual, although not unprecedented, for the Colorado weather to turn so wintery so quickly and early, but it’s never too late to get an early start on winterization.
Some of the more pesky plumbing problems we here at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Denver see every year have to do with the outside faucets and then the plumbing running through the basement or crawl space. These are easy problems to overcome – they take only seconds – but each and every year we get our share of calls from homeowners who simply forgot and paid the price with frozen pipes.
First and foremost, go outside and remove the garden hoses from all of the outdoor faucets. Leaving them in place on the faucets can cause water in the hose and lines to freeze the faucet head and the pipes inside the house. Most outdoor faucets can handle severe freezing temperatures as long as the hose isn’t still attached. And once the hose is removed it is wise to go to the hardware store and buy, for about one dollar, a Styrofoam cover that easily straps over the faucet, giving it extra protection.
If the hose contains frozen water, lay it out on the lawn until the sun can warm it up in a few days, then drain it and store it for the winter. This should protect the hose from cracking or splitting.
That pipe line the outdoor faucet is connected to usually goes straight into the basement, or the crawl space, and another problem we find all too often with the first frost are basements and crawl spaces unprepared for winter.
In the case of basements it is usually a simple thing like windows that homeowners have had open for the summer months and forgot to close, leaving the basement very cold and the pipes unprotected. Obviously, close the windows and make sure the basement is heated adequately – at least 55 degrees F. If there are pipes that run on outside walls or near windows in the basement the smart thing is to wrap the exposed portions with insulation or insulating tape for extra protection.
For pipes in crawl spaces, generally unheated, make sure the pipes are properly insulated against the winter temperatures.
Ben Franklin Plumbing of Denver doesn’t blow out sprinkler systems, but we recommend that homeowners find someone to do this. We also recommend turning off the water source for the sprinkler system; this is typically a shut-off valve in the basement on the pipe leading out to the sprinkler system vacuum breaker. Simply shut off the valve, and there should be a bleeder valve there to drain the water in the line, usually no more than a gallon or so. Also, go outside and cover the vacuum breaker with an approved cover that often comes with installation, or cover it with a blanket and a waterproof cover for the duration of winter.
Of course, should the vacuum breaker rupture, the pipes in the basement freeze and crack, or the outdoor faucets fail due to freezing, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Denver has expert licensed plumbers on call 24/7 to handle emergencies. Just call 866-PUNCTUAL for complete service.
We also tell all of our clients to know where the main water shit-off valve is for the house should an emergency event occur. That first frost – or two or three – always seems to come sooner than many people expect.