Yes Minneapolis, it is that time of year again! It seems that most people in Minnesota say that fall is their favorite time of year, for me personally it is summer. So needless to say, winter is my LEAST favorite season, but I embrace it with all I can to survive! Fact is, whether YOU embrace it or not, winter comes along and not only tests our sanity but it also tries to destroy our water lines every year… among other things! The best way to minimize the damage from cold weather on household plumbing is to do a little preventive winterizing. A good starting point is to winterize outside faucets and fixtures. These basic steps will take a small amount of time but they could save your Minneapolis area home a lot of money and headaches.
First things first, no matter what kind of hose bibs you have, freeze proof or not, it is very important to remove hoses, splitters or connections from the spigot during the winter. Not removing hoses or any other connections from the hose bib can trap water and can therefore surely cause the fixture to freeze. We all know Minnesota weather can change rapidly! That is why it is very important to do this before the weather gets too cold. One night of freezing temps is all it takes to freeze and break a pipe that could cause potential water damage in your home.
INSPECT The next step to is leak detection …and repairs if needed. Check all hose bibs and other fixtures for leaks and drips. If you do find any leaks or drips, repair or replace the fixture before the temperature drops to freezing. Water dripping, no matter how slowly, can block up and freeze in the pipe or fixture. Although a frozen outdoor faucet may not be apparent until the next season it may be possible to minimize the damage and prevent a water damage by repairing the leak now before winter.
DRAIN Getting as much water out of the pipes is the second step to winterizing outdoor faucets. Along with having your irrigation system blown out, If you have a hose bib(s) that is not freeze-proof the best way to do this is to shut off that line if possible and drain it down. If you cannot isolate the water supply to the hose bib to shut it off be sure to use extra insulation in the next step.
PROTECT The last step to winterizing outdoor faucets is to protect them with insulation. An easy way to do this is to install a hose bib cover on each outdoor fixture including frost-free hose bibs. Hose bib covers are square or dome-shaped to fit right over outdoor faucets. They are made of thick foam so they are quite effective at keeping most of the cold away from the valve.
Frost-free hose bibs should be covered as well because although they are resistant to freezing they are not completely frost proof in the coldest of Minnesota winters.
Do the best you can to protect your Twin Cities home and business. In the unfortunate event of a water damage, 24Restore’s highly trained team is available for you 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! We are passionate about what we do and helping people during a time of need and especially easing the stress of the situation is important to us… no matter the time of day!
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