5 Tasks To Prepare Your Plumbing For The Winter Holidays
Winter holidays bring about extra stress on a home's plumbing. With extra people in the home for parties, meals, and visits, as well as all the extra cooking and cleaning, now is the time to make sure your plumbing is in good repair.
1. Flush the Water Heater
Running out of hot water, or worse, dealing with a busted water heater when you have a house full of holiday guests can ruin the season. Taking the time in fall to schedule a water heater flush and inspection will help prevent issues. Your plumber will drain and flush out the water heater to ensure it is running at maximum efficiency and capacity. They will also inspect connections, electrical and gas systems, and the water lines, and then fix any issues that are found.
2. Clean the Drains
The winter holiday season usually means a lot more stress on your home's drains, since the kitchen and bathrooms will be seeing a lot more use with extra guests in the house. You don't want slow drains and clogs to interfere with any festivities. Your plumber can clean out the drains using a hydrojet or drain auger. This will ensure everything is flowing smoothly when winter arrives.
3. Protect Exposed Pipes
Cold temperatures can cause a pipe to burst in the home, which can put a damper on the celebrations. Pipes that run through exterior walls are most at risk, as are those in unheated or under-heated rooms. Your plumber can help identify high risk pipes. Once found, the addition of heat tape and a temperature sensor can help prevent any frozen pipes on those cold nights.
4. Fix the Drips
Dripping faucets are annoying, and they are also a waste of water and money. Don't let drips keep guests up at night; have your plumber fix the taps before everyone arrives. Even small drips should be fixed, since the extra wear on the faucets with others in the home can cause small leaks to quickly become worse -- sometimes resulting in the complete failure of a tap.
5. Repair Any Existing Issues
Inspect for any other plumbing issues that could interfere with the holiday festivities. If your garbage disposal is making odd noises or the dishwasher doesn't seem to be cleaning, schedule an inspection and repair. Issues with running toilets are another problem you want to fix before the guests arrive, as well. Small problems can quickly become huge issues when there is a lot more use of these plumbing systems.
Contact a plumbing contractor, such as one from Michigan Plumbing, for more help with preparing for the winter months.
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