Winters in the Ozarks can be hard to deal with, especially when they bring an extended period of subzero temperatures. A harsh freeze can create widespread plumbing problems all across the Midwest. To make matters worse, if you end up having problems with frozen pipes during a bitter cold spell, lots of your neighbors probably will have issues as well. That makes it a real challenge for everyone to get their plumbing problems addressed as quickly as we'd like.
After a few mild winters, it's easy to take the cold season for granted. But after our area has dealt with a harsh winter storm, we can all learn some lessons from the hardships that resulted from an extended cold spell, so we can avoid winter plumbing problems in Springfield Missouri.
Watch The Weather Forecast
It’s easy to shrug it off when a weather forecaster warns about low temperatures, especially when it seems like they don't get their forecasts right very often. But you need to take a freeze warning seriously and make sure your pipes are ready to survive the cold. If the temperatures are forecasted to be below freezing, it’s time to prepare for potential plumbing problems.
Keep Your Faucets Dripping
Many have heard this before and simply think that letting the water drip from every faucet in the home is all there is to it. But the temperature of the water is important as well. Every faucet has both a hot and cold water line. Make sure that both the hot and cold sides are running at a trickle. This will allow steady streams of water to flow from both the hot and cold lines, lowering the odds of either water line freezing.
Keep Your Home Warmer
You don’t want to run up a large heating bill, but compared to the cost of repairing damage from frozen pipes, it can be worth it. The lowest you should ever turn your thermostat down to is 55 degrees, but the warmer you’re willing to go, the less you’ll have to worry about your pipes freezing. 60-65 degrees or higher is ideal. You can also open up any cabinet doors below your sinks to make sure the warmer air gets to your water lines.
Insulate Your Pipes
Most people just think about insulating pipes to prevent them from freezing. But it also helps minimize heat gain and loss. As water travels along the plumbing lines in a home without pipe insulation, hot water tends to lose heat and cold water tends to gain heat. This makes your hot water heater work harder and it costs more money.
If there's a rolling blackout, you may not be able to control the heat in your home, but having the proper pipe insulation installed ahead of time can help keep the water in your plumbing system from turning to ice and expanding which can burst the pipes and cause extensive damage.
Missouri winters can be tough on all of us. At United Plumbing, we see firsthand the plumbing problems that result from harsh winter weather and want to do everything we can to help lessen your plumbing burdens.
Plan ahead and take steps to avoid to these winter plumbing issues. If you ever find yourself having to deal with frozen or burst pipes, don’t hesitate to give us a call as soon as possible.