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There are certain “cold weather” preventative plumbing techniques that can assist maintain a healthy, effective water system and prevent excessive water loss and costs. Your plumbing system is put under additional strain over the holiday season because of increased visitor activities in addition to the severe winter weather.
Things To Consider About Canberra (ACT) Plumbing
In actuality, plumbers have their busiest day out of the year on the day following Thanksgiving. Fortunately, by being proactive as well as following maintenance advice, you may avoid a lot of typical plumbing issues that might harm your system over the winter.
Cold Canberra Weather
Your home’s water pipes might burst when the temperature dips below freezing, resulting in a costly tragedy in the basement. An average pipe break costs a household $15,000 in costs.
Turn off every outside water valve before searching for pipes in the home’s uninsulated regions, such as those around the exterior walls, to prevent frozen pipes. Since these pipes are most susceptible to freezing, they should be covered for the season with foam or towels. It’s an excellent practice to allow faucets to drip gently in times of extreme cold to promote water flow.
Identify the Position of the Main Water Valve in your House
Knowing where the primary water valve is is essential in the event of a big emergency, which might involve a pipe rupture, when you may need to promptly turn off all of the water throughout the house. This valve, which is often found adjacent to the water meter, has to be maintained.
Open and close the main water valve in your house once a year to maintain it and keep it functional. Or a specialist with Canberra plumbing can locate the main and show you how it operates.
Conserve Energy in your House, But Don’t Go Too Far
You might be tempted to lower the heat in your house during the winter if you know you’ll be gone for any length of time. But lowering the heat too much raises the chance of freezing and burst pipes. If the rupture continues undetected for weeks, months, or even days, the harm from the accident will be significantly worse.
The temperature in the house should not be lower than 45F in order to most effectively avoid a pipe burst. This approach provides the greatest cost reduction while preventing frozen pipes.
While staying warm indoors throughout the winter might be challenging, we have thermostat advice for when you’re at home to make certain you stay cozy and save your energy costs.
Ensure the Correct Operation of your Water Heater
This is the ideal time to check that the water heating system is operating at its best because it is now more crucial than at any other period of the year. The tank’s expendable anode rod may be inspected by a qualified plumber, who can also make any adjustments or substitutions required as a result of wear or corrosion.
Don’t raise the water temperature dial on the heater’s thermostat beyond 125 degrees F.
This will stop water from scalding and cut down on energy consumption.
Avoid Clogging Kitchen Drains and Use the Garbage Disposal Carefully
The holidays usually involve some of the biggest meals you’ll make all year, so how you deal with kitchen waste, leftovers, including table scraps, may have a big influence on your plumbing system.
For instance, fats or oils might build up during the preparation of several meals, but you should never dump these leftovers (https://www.health.vic.gov.au/infectious-diseases/cleaning-and-waste-disposal-procedures-infection-control) down the drain since they can solidify and clog pipes. Instead, let the oil solidify in the cooking vessel before scraping it into the garbage.
It is essential to turn on your garbage disposal first before adding any food waste. Shut off the machine once it has finished its work and flush a lot of liquid down into the drain to clean the system in preparation for the following occasion that you will use it.
Prepare the Exterior Drainage
The drainage between snow and rain can be improved by winterizing your grass. Your downspouts and gutters will drain runoff more effectively if you clear your yard of debris before the winter so that they are clear.
Think about Adding Insulation
Foam insulation installation and little forward preparation can prevent frozen pipes. Most hardware stores provide insulating foam sheaths in a range of sizes, and they are simple to install.
The main water line of your home should be insulated by the full length of piping from where it emerges through the ground to where it reaches the heated area of your home. Additionally, you should insulate all pipes that are located outside of your home’s heated area, such as those in attic spaces, unheated basements, and outside hose bibbs. Call a qualified plumber if the insulation of pipes cannot be a DIY project for your home.
Hire Wisely the First Time Around
One of the greatest and most significant purchases you may make is often a home, which is the outcome of a lengthy search that could have lasted years or even months. Therefore, it only makes sense to find someone who is competent and will perform the job correctly when it comes to house maintenance, from cooling system repairs to plumbing maintenance.
The following advice is provided by your neighborhood plumbing business to help you choose the best professional to fix your valuable possession:
- Hire an expert from a trustworthy, well-known company.
- Verify the technician’s insurance and licensing status.
- Use a specialist who will explain the complete repair procedure up front.
- Make sure you have a detailed work order that outlines everything that needs to be done as well as the associated cost in advance.
By adhering to these simple guidelines and low-cost additions to your home’s plumbing, you can avoid costly cold weather plumbing problems that could do serious damage to your home and foundation. Although it may not seem like a big deal in the warmer months, when the cold weather arrives, you don’t want to be unprepared for what may happen to your plumbing system.
