The change in the weather is on the way. That doesn’t mean a massive cold snap will strike during the next couple days, but now is the time to start to prepare your home for the winter. Your residential plumbing will need some maintenance to make sure that it can make it through the coldest parts of the year without damage. Rely on our expert plumbers to help you with your plumbing maintenance.
Winterizing Hose Bibs
There’s an important plumbing maintenance job you can do on your own to get ready for winter: wintering the outside hose bibs. It won’t take long, and it will prevent expensive repair issues.
- Remove any hose or other attachment that’s connected to the faucet. If a hose is left attached to the faucet over the winter, the water remaining inside it will freeze, and this will lead to breaking pipes.
- Make sure the hose bib isn’t leaking. If you see that there’s water dripping out of the faucet when the tap is turned off, you have a leak that can cause the hose bib to freeze over in winter. If you do have leaks, then call professional plumbers to take care of the trouble.
- Drain out the pipes to remove as much water as possible from them. This is easier to do if you can isolate the water line connected to the faucet.
- Make sure the faucet is properly insulated. The best way to do this is go to a home improvement store and purchase a special cover made from thick foam. This isolates the faucet from the cold and helps ensure that it doesn’t freeze. If you already have a cover, purchase a new one if it’s been a few years.
If you need help with your home’s plumbing to get ready for winter, call Ken Neyer Plumbing, Inc. in Cincinnati, OH.