Of course, preparing your home for winter requires a little more thought than just adding a few extra blankets to your bedding. Image Shutterstock
As we move into the winter months here in Australia, temperatures have been getting bitingly cold at a rapid pace.
No matter how cold you may be feeling right now, it’s important to remember that the worst of winter weather is still ahead.
Therefore, you should ensure that your home is prepared for winter low temperatures as soon as possible.
Of course, preparing your home for winter requires a little more thought than just adding a few extra blankets to your bedding.
There are a number of home maintenance jobs that also need to be done before fall is over, including installing weatherproof coverings in your yard and caulking your windows and doors.
One of the most important elements in winterizing your home is paying a little attention to your plumbing.
But what exactly does that look like?
Here are just a few ways you can winterize your home’s plumbing system before the stormy weather hits.
Arrange a professional inspection of the sanitary facilities
It might seem simplistic that this winterization process starts with typing “plumbers near me” into your phone, but organizing a preliminary plumbing inspection is vital.
You need to know if there are any existing concerns about the pipes, drains, and other components of your plumbing system in your home before making any major changes.
The last thing you need is to have your pipes burst or find evidence of a leak after you’ve already installed your pipe wraps or other insulation.
The plumber you trust should be able to quickly and efficiently spot potential leaks, signs of corrosion, or other red flags that can cause your plumbing system to cause some unfortunate problems this winter.
Even if the forecast is poor, getting a forecast before the winter weather is in full swing is infinitely better than dealing with unforeseen problems in the cold and damp.
Unclog clogged drains and pipes
If you noticed clogged drains or pipes during your preliminary inspection of the plumbing, the next thing you should do is ensure that those pipes are unclogged as soon as possible.
For shower drains or bathtubs, this process can be as simple as using a household wire drain snake or drain auger. These can usually be purchased at your local hardware store.
When it comes to unclogging kitchen sinks, most homeowners generally take a more individual approach.
If your kitchen plumbing clog is largely superficial and caused by organic matter like food scraps or oil buildup, you can even use household cleaners to clear those materials.
Acidic chemical cleaners can easily break down food and oil residue, leaving you with clean kitchen drains in a day.
You may even find success with a simple homemade cleaning mixture – hot water, vinegar and a little lemon can work wonders for simple clogs.
If you try these drain cleaning techniques and only get minimal results, we recommend that you consult with your professional plumber again.
While unclogging clogged drains can be a do-it-yourself job to an extent, it’s important to know when to pull the plug, so to speak.
If you feel a clog is too bad for your household cleaners, your plumbers can likely fix the problem with minimal risk of unnecessary damage or corrosion to your pipes.
Winterize pipes and garden hoses
If you live in an area that’s prone to frosty mornings or even frost build-up in mid-winter, be sure to pack up and dry all your garden hoses before the temperature dips below freezing.
During the cold season, you don’t want to deal with frozen garden hoses.
The same goes for the plumbing and the rest of the plumbing system in your home.
Any exposed pipe is at risk of frost build-up, which in turn can increase the likelihood of a pipe bursting or cracking during the season.
Hot water pipes are particularly at risk because they are exposed to heat and frost at the same time.
This is why pipe jacketing and other forms of pipe insulation are so important in ensuring the integrity of your home’s plumbing system from the beginning to the end of the winter season.
Simply select an insulating material (such as thermal tape, bubble wrap, foam, and any other options at your disposal) and apply it to your home’s ducts well in advance of winter weather settling in.
Clear out your gutters
Trees always fall down in storm season.
And when trees fall or are even blown about in strong winds, they are likely to lose leaves, twigs or even entire branches.
It’s this activity that usually causes copious amounts of plant matter to build up in your gutters and all over your stormwater drains.
But clogged gutters are not just an aesthetic problem.
A build-up of moisture-rich plant matter on the roof of your home can quickly lead to water damage which, if left unchecked, can even cause holes in your roof and ceiling.
And once this process begins, it can be quite costly to tackle down the road.
That’s why clearing out the gutters is a must-do pre-winter task for all responsible homeowners.
By grabbing a ladder and removing all plant debris from your gutters and stormwater drains, you can reduce the likelihood of having to pay for complete replacements of entire sections of your roof or ceiling.
Look for signs of moisture or mold
Last but not least, while cleaning your gutters and downspouts can help reduce the risk of roof and ceiling water damage throughout the winter season, it’s still possible for moisture to accumulate from other sources and in other ways.
For example, there could be undetected cracks in the roof tiles near the center of the roof, which can allow rainwater to seep into the roof void and eventually form water damage to the ceiling.
Likewise, the bathroom, laundry and kitchen rooms in your home are more prone to moisture build-up in colder weather.
This is because the heat generated when showering, cooking or using your dryer can cause condensation to form.
Unfortunately, these activities are not really avoidable. The only thing homeowners can do is keep an eye out for signs of excessive moisture or mold growth in their homes.
If you’ve noticed signs of dampness in your home during the winter months, you should consider taking steps to limit this moisture build-up (e.g. using the fan when showering in winter or only running the dryer during the day) .
Homeowners can also choose to invest in a dehumidifier for these spaces.
With all of these measures in place, you should find that this winter season, keeping your home’s plumbing system in working order will be a breeze.
Remember that all members of your household must prioritize not only the health and performance of your plumbing system, but your entire home as well.
The health of your roof, walls and ceilings can also be protected by keeping an eye out for the telltale signs of dampness and mildew and keeping steamy winter showers to a minimum if possible, or at least -ventilated.
www.thecourier.com.au
https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/8225057/how-to-winter-proof-your-homes-plumbing-system/
