Ice on your neck might be cool to have but when it comes to ice in your plumbing, not so much. During winters, there are worries and anxiety when it comes to dealing with the pipes and drainage.
The possibility of disastrous flooding in your house due to cracked pipes is a living nightmare you do not want to deal with. To avoid a potential frozen disaster, you need to be prepared and take initiatives to prevent such catastrophes. You can always hire a Vancouver plumber when you are in need.
We are here with 10 simple tips to deal with drainage in such a harsh season.
Insulate Before It Gets Too Late!
Your pipes crack and burst when the water inside gets frozen. Water expands when it freezes. This exerts more pressure on the pipes. Unable to withstand such added pressure, the pipes cracks.
To prevent this horrendous calamity, insulate your pipes. The outside pipes are more prone to freeze, so it is crucial to wrap them with a protective freeze proof covering. For protection insulate your pipes with foam pipe sleeves.
Regularly Clean All Drains
A clogged drain increases the risk of blockages and bursting pipes. The situation worsens when it stinks. Make sure all drains, in your household, are cleaned regularly.
Random detritus gets collected on the surface of the drains. This obstructs the drain and causes congestion.
Remove debris like twigs and leaves accumulating over drains outside. Get rid of the hair gathered in the shower drains. You can clean the drains in your house by using vinegar and baking soda.
Pour Hot Water
In most cases, grease from the waste gets stuck to the walls of ducts. Also, the circulation of cold water does aids in freezing the ducts.
Pouring hot water down the drain after every use of the sink or bathroom would be ideal. The hot water would raise the pipe’s temperature, preventing it from freezing. It will also melt the grease attached to the inner walls of the duct, preventing possible clogging.
However, do not pour boiling water down the drain. Otherwise, hot water could melt the ducts.
Do Not Dispose of Fats and Oils Down the Sink.
Fats and oils solidify in low temperatures and result in major nasty blockages which are very annoying to get rid of.
Instead, collect the fats and oils in a bottle, and throw the bottle in your garbage bin. Ensure the bottle cap is fastened tight to prevent leakage. Wipe the congealed grease on your utensils before washing them to stop obstructing the drain and pipes.
Detach Hose Pipes
Hose pipes will get frozen by the residual water inside them when left out. The ice inside them can creep up to the pipe if they are still connected to the tap. This will cause your pipes to freeze and eventually burst.
To avoid such mishaps, disconnect the hose from the tap after use. Make sure there is no residual water at the spout of the tap.
Turn Off Water Supply When You Are Away
If you are going to be away from your house for a few days or weeks, turn off your main water supply. This is a preventive measure to ensure you don’t come back to your home being the Lost City of Atlantis.
When you are away for a few days with no one in the house and a drainage issue occurs, it would be very difficult to contain the situation. You do not want to come back to a ruined house and belongings.
If there is no water, there will be no leakage or water flooding out of possible burst pipes so the only solution is to shut off the water supply.
Open Sesame
When there is a sudden cold wave, leave your kitchen cabinets open. Your kitchen cabinets are in closed spaces, away from the thermostat heating. The cabinet doors prevent the heat from entering the ducts and this might cause the kitchen pipes to freeze. To avoid this dilemma, opening your cabinet doors will allow the heat from the thermostat to reach the pipes and maintain the temperature. This will slow down the chances of your kitchen pipes from getting frozen.
Locate the Cut Off Valve
Look for the cut off valves in the house. They are usually inside the house below the sinks and basements. Whenever there is an occurrence of a cracked pipe, you can act promptly and turn off the water supply and prevent further damage. Also, check regularly whether the valves are working properly by turning them on and off from time to time. Make sure your valves are not rusted, corroded valves do not function properly and as a result, are of little help in case of a burst duct.
Defrost Pipes
Suppose your pipes have already got frozen but have not cracked yet. It is not too late, to salvage your pipes.
Soak towels in hot water, wring them well and then rub the frozen pipes with them. Also, increase the temperature settings in your thermostat. The heat from both the temperature regulator and hot towel will raise the temperature and de-ice the ducts.
Inspect and Repair
Get your Sherlock mode on and look for possible complications in your pipe and drainage system. It is better to be prepared than to be surprised by a chaotic end. Make sure all the faucets and valves in your house are functioning properly. Ensure that there is no water dripping from them.
If you do find some malfunctions and have no experience in fixing them, please do not try to fix it by yourself. You might make the situation worse by an unintended mistake as this is not your area of expertise. Call a local plumber to set things straight.
If worst comes to worst and you have a horrible plumbing emergency, reach out to any experienced plumbers, like the plumbers in Manassas VA.
We hope these simple suggestions help you to tackle and be ready for the icy season.
