With The Fall Season Upon Us, Mr Rooter Has Some Plumbing Maintenance Tips To Consider

September 23rd marked the first day of Fall, which means that chilly temperatures are just around the corner and it is time to start thinking about winterizing your plumbing. The plumbing in your home is a complex system and each independent component affects the others, and ultimately the entire system. Having a plumbing emergency during a winter storm is the last thing you want to have to deal with! Thankfully, with just a few simple steps you can prepare your plumbing for the winter temperatures and prevent costly repairs, and potential damage.

1. Disconnect all hoses from the spigot outside your home. If you leave your hoses connected the water inside of them will freeze and expand, which may lead to the connecting pipes and faucets inside of your home to freeze and eventually break.
2. Ensure that the faucets outside of your home are not leaking. Inspect the faucets outside of your home, if any of them are dripping or leaking, make the necessary repairs to fix this. When an outside faucet drips during freezing temperatures the water can turn to ice and block the flow of the water. This water then pools inside of the pipe and will eventually freeze, causing the pipe to expand and break.
3. Clean your gutters. Fall is the perfect time to remove leaves and other debris from the gutters and downspouts around your home. These systems are meant to divert water away from your home and if they are blocked by debris, you could experience flooding.
4. Prepare your water heater. If you have a traditional tank water heater it will have to work extra hard during the cold months. To avoid any problems, it is a good idea to use time in the fall to flush the tank and double-check to make sure the temperature is set at 120 degrees.

Don’t get caught off guard when the winter weather arrives, use fall as a time to get prepared! If you have any questions about winterizing your plumbing, or if you need repair or maintenance services for your pipes or water heater, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Mr. Rooter.