It may be the start of a new year, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods yet when it comes to winter. In fact, January and February have been known to bring on some of the coldest temperatures, harshest winds and most prolific snowstorms of the year. Don’t let down your guard just yet!
With some of the season’s worst weather still ahead, it’s important to mark the start of the new year as a time to go through your home and make sure it’s still equipped to deal with the rest of the winter season. One area in particular that could use a good check is your home’s plumbing—especially in the four key areas listed below.
Remember, if you even so much as suspect a problem with your plumbing during the winter season, the best thing you can do is to call a plumber in Grand Junction, CO to make sure there’s nothing lurking out of sight, ready to make your life miserable. Stay up to date on these four areas of your home’s plumbing:
- Plumbing closets: plumbing closets are convenient for getting to your pipes without any obstructions or invasiveness, but the tradeoff is that they’re often less protected than the pipes behind your walls when it comes to fending off winter’s bane. Plumbing closets can herald some frosty pipes when the temperatures drop below zero, so it’s a good idea to inspect your exposed pipes in these areas and do what you can to insulate them from the cold.
- Crawl spaces: Like plumbing closets, crawl spaces tend to be an “out of sight, out of mind” scenario when it comes to protecting your plumbing. There’s little protection in a crawl space for pipes, which means a higher chance of freezing. Moreover, it’s harder to inspect pipes for damages in a crawl space, which means small leaks or cracks in the plumbing may go unnoticed over time!
- Hot water heater: Your hot water heater may be a fixture, but it’s a part of your home’s plumbing nonetheless! Check to make sure your water heater is up to date on any service and maintenance, and that it’s in full functioning order. If you’re having issues getting hot water during the winter months, you can trace the problem back to your hot water heater and the piping that supply it.
- Under sinks: Yet another place in your home with exposed plumbing, the under areas of sinks can experience some issues if not monitored. U-joints tend to have water pooled in them, which can freeze if your plumbing is close to an exterior wall or the plumbing surrounding it becomes frozen. It’s a good idea to run your taps every hour or so on those bitterly cold days, to keep the flow moving in your system.
All of the above areas of your home’s plumbing will be put to the test throughout the duration of winter. To prevent plumbing troubles or to minimize the damages of an issue if and when one develops in these areas, be sure you’ve got a trusted plumber in Grand Junction, CO ready on speed dial!