WINTERIZINg PIPES
WINTERIZINg PIPES
Embedded Files
The photo above shows what could happen to houses when it gets down below 20 degrees.
How to Winterize Your Plumbing and Prevent Frozen Pipes
How to Winterize Your Plumbing and Prevent Frozen Pipes
Winterizing pipes involves a series of steps that prepare a home's interior and exterior plumbing to withstand extreme cold temperatures without freezing, therefore protecting against devastating pipe bursts and leaks. As water freezes and becomes ice, it expands. The expansion quickly builds outward pressure within pipes, which can lead to the type of pipe damage noted above.
Winterization is critical if you're away from home for an extended period, like snowbirds who leave their primary residence during the winter and escape to a beachy vacation home. A key component of properly winterizing a vacant home is preventing water from running through the pipes. The less water within a pipe, the less likely it is to freeze and cause severe damage to your plumbing.
Steps to winterizing interior plumbing
Steps to winterizing interior plumbing
Interior plumbing involves anything within the home. Taking care of your household plumbing can help protect you from having an emergency repair. Here are the steps to preventing frozen pipes and keeping your interior plumbing working properly:
First, you will want to shut off the main water valve. The main water valve is located where the water supply enters the home, usually in a basement, crawl space, or mechanical room. Look for handles that look like a handwheel or lever. After shutting off the main water supply valve, open all faucets within the home and drain the system.
Note: Also, remember that you should turn off the water on the street.
Tip: In multilevel homes, drain the system from the lowest level and allow gravity to do the job. In single-level homes, drain from the tap closest to the main shutoff valve. To avoid water from becoming air locked and draining slowly, you can also open a fixture at the highest point in the home and then the lowest.
Make sure to flush your toilets. After turning off the water and draining the system, flush all toilets to remove excess water from the tanks.
Tip: Pour an environmentally safe antifreeze into your toilet bowl and tank. It will keep the flapper/seals in the toilet tank lubricated and prevent them from dry rotting.
Drain all the water lines. You should open up all your faucets and stuff. Once you're doing that you can put in a drain next to the water main and get all the water to come out of the house. That way, you can also open up an exterior spigot and bring the water out that way and just leave it open.
Prep all your drains. Pour antifreeze into all shower, tub, floor, and sink drains — basically, any fixture with a trap. This will ensure water in the traps will not freeze while preventing evaporation and maintaining the trap seal.
Do not turn off the heat. Set the thermostat at 50° Fahrenheit to prevent pipes from freeze damage. Having your heating system inspected/serviced is always a good idea to ensure reliability and performance when needed.
Open cabinet doors beneath the bathroom and kitchen sinks. This allows warm air to reach pipes.
Tip: Add a vinyl or rubber strip to the bottom of the garage door to trap heat and stop it from escaping. This draft-proof product can also help prevent mold.
Steps to winterizing Exterior plumbing
Steps to winterizing Exterior plumbing
Exterior openings in the home should be closed to prevent frigid outside air from contacting indoor pipes. Here are some preventative steps you can take to keep your external plumbing safe:
1. Shut off valves to the external water supply. These are isolation valves on the water lines leading to the external water supply (usually in a basement, crawl space, or mechanical room). Once you've completed this step, open all taps until water is completely drained from the outside hose bibbs.
2. Disconnect garden hoses and fittings from the hose bibbs. Any water in the attached garden hoses will freeze when the temperature drops. Water expands when it freezes and will take up more space than liquid water within the pipe. A water pipe can't typically handle this type of expansion.
Tip: If the valve is damaged, we recommend using an air compressor to blow out any residual water in the exterior lines to prevent it from further damage.
3. Clean out your gutters and downspouts. Doing so will remove any leaves and debris that could prevent proper water flow and cause ice build-up, which can lead to costly repairs.
TIPS: If there are a lot of leaves in the gutter and a tree nearby that's causing that, consider putting on gutter guards.
4. Seal any visible cracks or gaps. Check for holes in the siding, door frames, or windows. Fill in exterior and interior cracks with a sealant to block out nasty drafts that can freeze your pipes and increase utility bills.
Prevent pipes from freezing by preparing for winter conditions. Identify which pipes are most vulnerable to the cold temperatures –– like pipes located on the outside walls, uninsulated pipes, and pipes within unheated spaces, and start there.
If you do not have the necessary equipment or skill set to winterize your own plumbing, we recommend contacting a professional for help.
FROZEN PIPES
Frozen pipes are a common issue, especially in cold climates.
When the temperature outside drops below freezing, the water in your pipes can also freeze and expand, putting pressure on the pipes and causing them to crack or burst.
Keeping the heat on in your house during winter is important to prevent your pipes from freezing and potentially bursting.
To prevent freezing and potential damage, it's important to drain water from plumbing pipes in situations where the pipes are at risk of exposure to freezing temperatures.
THE REASON THIS IS IMPORTANT IS THAT A PIPE FREEZING AND BURSTING WILL COST A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN REPAIRS.
To further illustrate what could happen when water in pipes freezes, Jeff has suggested an experiment that involves observing the changes in the volume of water as it freezes. Here's a detailed explanation of the steps and what you might expect:
Fill the Cup with Water:
Take a standard cup or container and fill it with water. Ensure that you fill it to a specific level that can be easily marked. This level will serve as a reference point for observing changes in volume.
Mark the Water Level:
Using a marker or a piece of tape, mark the current level of the water on the side of the cup. This mark will be essential for comparing the initial and final volumes of the water.
Place the Cup in the Freezer:
Carefully place the cup with water in the freezer. Make sure it is positioned in a way that allows for easy observation.
Wait for Freezing:
Allow sufficient time for the water to freeze completely. The duration will depend on factors such as the temperature of the freezer and the volume of water.
Observe Changes:
Once the water has frozen, take the cup out of the freezer. Observe any changes in the position of the marked water level. You might notice that the ice has expanded, causing the water level to rise.
The purpose of marking the water level before freezing is to provide a visual representation of this expansion. As the water turns into ice, it pushes against the boundaries of the container, causing the water level to rise.
When water freezes to form ice, it takes up more room in the container because the water expands approximately 9% by volume.
Just like the water in the cup expands when it freezes, water inside pipes can also expand as it turns into ice. This expansion can lead to increased pressure within the pipes.
In both cases, the expansion of the frozen substance (water or ice) creates pressure. In plumbing systems, this increased pressure can be a risk factor for pipes bursting. When the pressure becomes too much for the pipes to handle, they may rupture, causing water leakage.
Conclusion:
When water in plumbing pipes freezes, it can lead to significant problems., as water expands when it freezes. The expansion of freezing water can generate tremendous pressure within the pipes, and this pressure can cause the pipes to crack or burst.
To prevent freezing and potential damage, it's important to drain water from plumbing pipes in situations where the pipes are at risk of exposure to freezing temperatures.
Brass Push Ball Valve with Drain / Vent
Brass Push Ball Valve with Drain / Vent
At the lowest point in the house to drain water out if you need to do that. This drain / vent allows for water to be drained from the line if needed. Also you need to open up the faucets to get the water to come out of that drain.
How to winterize your home's pipes ahead of the big freeze
How to winterize your home's pipes ahead of the big freeze
It is crucial to make sure the water lines in the houses don't freeze This video will show tips and ideas on how to prepare the house before the big freeze.
How to Drain Pipes for the Winter
How to Drain Pipes for the Winter
This video shows Hot tips for avoiding frozen pipes with This Old House plumbing and heating.
Shopping List for How to Drain Pipes for the Winter:
- propylene glycol, nontoxic antifreeze used to protect water left in home's plumbing system
Tools for How to Drain Pipes for the Winter:
- garden hose, used to drain water from plumbing system and boiler
- air compressor, for blowing water from piping
10 PROVEN Methods to Keep Your Water Pipes from Freezing this Winter
10 PROVEN Methods to Keep Your Water Pipes from Freezing this Winter
In this video, we're going to discuss 10 effective methods to stop your water pipes from freezing. From using insulation to using additional heat, these tips will help you keep your pipes from freezing during the winter!
If you living in a cold climate, then you know that frozen pipes can be a really expensive problem. In this video, we're going to share with you different ways to keep your home safe during the cold winter months!
WINTERIZING PIPES: USEFUL TOOLS
PIPE WRENCH
Every pipe wrench if you take out the teeth and the adjuster is also a little water meter key, so you can use it to turn the water meter on and off.
Page updated
Report abuse