If you haven’t heard already, there is a frost advisory between 3:00 am – 9:00 am tomorrow morning. If you still have tomato plants alive, unlike mine, you will want to cover them tonight. It is also time to get that outside water shut off and irrigation systems are blown out. This is so crucial to do correctly in order to avoid frozen or broken pipes, which can lead to unwanted water damage in your home or business.
I’ve said this before and I’ll keep saying it again and again the most important thing to know is where your main water shut off valve is inside of your home!
Locate it and make sure it is clearly marked and that everyone who lives in the home knows what and where it is and how to turn it off.
No Tag you say? NO problem! I made one especially for you! Use this link to print one off and hang it from your main water valve!
https://24restore.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/MainWaterShutOff_RED_Front.pdf
Having your valve properly marked will allow you and others to find the valve quickly in case of a water damage emergency.
Shut off and drain in-ground sprinkler systems including the backflow prevention device and water meters on the irrigation systems. 24Restore highly recommends that you contact a landscape professional with proper equipment and training. Hiring a landscape professional for this service can avoid potential damage to both your irrigation system and the public water system.
Protect outside pipes and faucets. For most new homes outside hose, bids are frost free, meaning that the shut-off is actually located deep inside the insulated wall. If you’re not sure if the hose bed is frost free, when you turn it off and water continues to drain for a few seconds, this is a good indication that the hose bid is frost-free. If you’re not sure you do not have a frost-free hose bid, then you’ll need to insulate the hose bed. Molded foam insulating covers are available at most plumbing and hardware stores. In some homes, the outside faucet may have a separate shut off in the basement or crawlspace. If you do have separate valves for outside faucets, shut them off. Then go outside and turn on the faucets to drain all water from the line. This will not only make them last longer but help prevent a possible water damage.
As I said at the beginning of this blog, preparing your outside pipes for winter is a very important step in preventing frozen pipes and/or possible water damage. The 24Restore Team is available to answer questions or to help you through any kind of water damage, smoke damage, storm damage or fire damage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.