3 Ways to Winterize Your Plumbing
Learn how to properly winterize your home and prevent burst pipes with plumbing winterization tips from Ben Goheen, a master plumber with 15 years of experience. Follow as he shares some simple, yet effective ways to protect your home plumbing system from winter weather.
Why should I winterize?
Protecting your home from winter weather can prevent major flood damage and costly repairs. So, it’s best to take the proper precautions to keep your pipes from bursting. These pipe bursts and subsequent flooding occur when the water inside your pipes freezes and expands, and this is most likely when temperatures stay below freezing for 24-48 hours. While frozen pipes are common in winter, here are some ways to prepare for freezing temperatures.
Learn More: Winterization Tips
1. Shut off your water and drain the fixture
Shutting off the water to your outdoor fixtures is an effective way to prevent frozen pipes. First, find the cut-off valve or ball valve to the fixture and turn it off. It should be located behind the wall of the spigot, 10-15 ft from it, or at the water heater. Once the water is off, open the spigot and drain the water. Leave the fixture open so all the remaining water can drain and leave the cut-off valve off until the winter is over.
If you are going out of town or will not be there during the winter, it’s best to shut off the water to the entire home and drain the system.
2. Use foam insulation
Another easy yet effective way to prevent burst pipes is to wrap all of your exposed pipes with foam. This will insulate your pipes and keep the cold temperatures off the surface of the pipe. To do this, just secure the foam to the pipe and ensure it is wrapped all the way around the pipe.
You can also use a foam cover for your outdoor spigot. This will protect your traditional outdoor spigot from freezing temperatures and wind. This step is especially important if you cannot cut off water to your spigot. Just adjust the string, wrap the end around the spigot, and tighten the foam cover to the wall.
3. Install a Frost-Free Sillcock
An easy way to prevent burst pipes is to upgrade your outdoor hose spigot to a SharkBite frost-free sillcock. This sillcock prevents water from staying in the pipe closest to the wall and prevents backflow. This is possible because the shut-off is located at the inlet of the sillcock to drain the water from the line, which protects the valve in freezing conditions. It is also equipped with an integrated vacuum breaker, which prevents backflow. Just be sure to not unscrew the vacuum breaker while in use. Plus, since it has a push-to-connect end, it is compatible with PEX, copper, CPVC, PE-RT and SDR-9 HDPE pipes.
Watch: How to Replace a Hose Bibb
Already have a burst pipe? Learn how SharkBite can make the repair faster and easier with another tutorial from Ben Goheen.