Essential Winter Plumbing Tips
The winter season can be tough enough with snowy days and uncomfortably cold temperatures. While anyone can easily bundle up or light a fire to improve their comfort, most homes feel that same impact. What many homeowners don’t realize is that the winter months are the toughest on the plumbing system and can easily lead to one of the most dangerous situations possible - a burst pipe. In this article, plumbing experts share information about the intricacies of burst pipes and what homeowners can do to protect themselves.
How Can Burst Pipes Impact the Home?
While routine maintenance usually helps keep the pipes in working order, unforeseen circumstances can take a plumbing system from top efficiency to a complete standstill. The almost completely uncontrollable instances are the bursting of a pipe due to the freezing temperatures during winter. Burst pipes can be especially dangerous for homes as well as their plumbing system.
Not only will all of the house’s appliances attached to the plumbing system stop working, but there will also be all of the damage associated with the misplaced water. The water will usually cause degradation of whatever it is touching, whether that be wood or other pipes.
If left unchecked, burst pipes can also cause areas on the floor to rise. The extent of the damage can be very expensive.
Consider Pipe Insulation
Burst pipes are often caused by the drastic change in weather from summer to fall and then to winter. This temperature change causes the water temperature inside the pipe to react negatively with the temperature outside the pipe, causing pressure on the pipe, which eventually ends up bursting.
A good way to combat the drastic temperature changes is to insulate pipes. The insulation surrounding the pipes helps keep the temperature inside from leaking out into the air as it comes into contact with the cooler or hotter air. This is especially important if there are pipes that are openly exposed to the outside, as air will be colder outside of the house than inside because of heating. The insulation is also a good idea if there’s a need to keep hot water hot while in the pipes. Whatever the temperature is inside the pipe, it will stay the same.
Other Prevention Methods
If pipe insulation doesn’t seem like the right choice, other things can be done that can help prevent pipes from bursting. The most crucial factor leading to burst pipes is the pressure brought from temperature differences, so it’s important to keep the areas around the pipe warm. This means that air from heaters should be directed to the parts of the house that get cold more easily. Another thing to do is look around and see if there are any areas of the house where the cold air is leaking into the home.
Another way to keep pipes from bursting is to make sure they are being used regularly. A pipe that isn’t in use has time to cool down to the same temperature as outside, which means that when the pipe does end up being used, the temperature difference can be so significant that the pressure causes a pipe to burst.
Lodder Brothers Limited
For almost fifty years, Lodder Brothers Limited has been providing quality plumbing services to the Ontario area. A family-owned business, Lodder Brothers Limited strives to assist all in need with plumbing and excavation concerns. Contact them for 24-hour pipe repair in Guelph, ON.
