Winterizing Your Home’s Plumbing

September 26, 2022 | Homeowner Tips, Plumbing

With winter right around the corner, and many folks heading to warmer climates for the next few months, we thought it would be a good time to discuss plumbing winterization for your home to ensure you don’t come back to any unexpected surprises!

When Do I Need to Winterize My Plumbing?

Winterizing a home happens when a home is preparing for a vacancy, typically this will be during the winter months. Most importantly, this is an important time for plumping because this means no water will be running for long periods of time. An example of this could be when someone lives in a cold place but chooses to spend their winter somewhere warmer. In the case of rental properties, the home would be left vacant for an extended period of time. Today we will learn a little more about the winterizing process.

What Are The Steps for Winterizing?

The process involves getting rid of all of the water in the system which starts with emptying the water heater and draining all water from the pipes. When you let the water flow completely out, you remove the chance of freezing pipes. Then, when all of the water is gone, fixtures will be filled with an antifreeze solution.
For seasonal winterizing, you’ll want to insulate pipes, keep the house temperature controlled while circulating warm air and keep cold air out, seal air leaks, and drain and disconnect components to avoid freezing. To accomplish the winterizing process, make sure the house temperature doesn’t dip below 55, open cabinet doors to allow warm air to reach the pipes, and keep garage doors shut to protect pipes in the nearby walls.

What Is The Difference Between Winterization And Weatherization?

The main difference between winterization and weatherization is the time the solution is meant to last. Winterization is meant to be a shorter-term solution to prevent damage to your home or plumbing system. The process happens to protect your home and is later reversed when you need to resume using the plumping system in your home. Weatherization serves the purpose to create long-term solutions to improve the quality of your home and life moving forward. If you are in your home long-term, more than likely you will choose weatherization solutions that will last.
Schedule Plumbing Maintenance

As a preventative measure, maintenance can help you solve problems before they happen and before you need to start the winterizing process. Make sure to have annual maintenance of your plumping systems conducted as well.
Call us for all of your plumbing needs including service, repairs, upgrades, installation, and inspections!