The winters in the Flower Mound, TX area typically aren’t that cold compared to other parts of the country. Nonetheless, there are still times when it gets cold enough outside that some of your plumbing can be at risk of freezing. That’s why you should always take some steps before or during the winter to help protect your plumbing and reduce the risk of any pipes freezing. Here, we’ll look at the most important steps in winterizing your plumbing and what impact each one has.
Shut Off and Drain Outdoor Plumbing Fixtures
The most important step in preventing your plumbing from freezing is to winterize all of your outdoor fixtures. This means your hose bibs as well as anything like an outdoor sink or a sprinkler/irrigation system. The first step in this process is to shut the water off to all of these things. Each of these fixtures will have a shut-off valve located somewhere inside your house on the pipe that supplies the fixture.
The location of each of these valves can vary depending on what type of foundation your home has. If you have a basement or a crawl space, the valves will usually be in this area at the top of the foundation wall. If your house has a concrete slab foundation, each valve is likely located within an access panel on the inside of an exterior wall.
Once you’ve located all of the valves, you need to fully close each one so that you can then drain all of the water out of the exterior pipes. To drain an outdoor sink or a hose bib, all you need to do is open it and wait until the water stops running. You should then make sure you shut the faucet or hose bib once you’ve drained the water or else cold air can travel up through the pipe and potentially cause the water line inside your house to freeze. If you have an underground sprinkler system, you’ll need to hire someone to blow out the sprinkler lines with an industrial air compressor.
Upgrade to Frost-Proof Hose Bibs
One thing some homeowners aren’t aware of is that one of the pipes inside your house that connects to an outdoor hose bib can still end up freezing. That can happen even if you shut off the water and drain the bib. This is where upgrading old hose bibs to new frost-proof bibs is extremely beneficial since it greatly reduces the chances of this happening. The difference between standard bibs and frost-proof bibs is that the latter has a much longer stem. The stem is the part of the bib that extends inside the house and connects to the water line that supplies the bib.
When you shut off the water and drain a hose bib, all you’re doing is draining the water inside the bib itself. That means the pipe that supplies the bib remains full of water. The issue with a standard hose bib is that the stem only extends a few inches inside the house, meaning the full water line is located just next to the exterior wall.
Even when the rest of your house is warm, this space can still get cold enough that the water in this pipe freezes and potentially causes the pipe to burst. The chances of this type of pipe freezing are much less if it’s connected to a frost-proof hose bib. This is because the stem extends further inside where the air is usually quite a bit warmer.
Insulate All Pipes in Unconditioned Parts of Your House
While outdoor pipes are more likely to freeze if not properly winterized, there’s also a greater chance of pipes in unconditioned parts of your house freezing. By unconditioned, we mean unheated areas like a garage, attic or crawl space. Even though these areas are usually insulated, they can still get extremely cold during the winter. This is especially the case with an attic since all of the attic and roof vents allow hot air to escape. This can result in the space often being nearly the same temperature as it is outside.
The only real way to help prevent any of the pipes in an unconditioned area of your house from freezing is to insulate them. The easiest option in this regard is to have a plumber wrap each of the water lines in foam pipe insulation and then use tape to make sure that all of the insulation is fully secured.
Even if all of these pipes are already insulated, you should still make sure to inspect them before winter. That’s because pipe insulation deteriorates with age and can start cracking or crumbling. The result is that you can end up with gaps where cold air can come into contact with the pipe and potentially lead to the water inside it freezing.
Drain Your Water Heater Before Going on Vacation
Many homes in other parts of the country have their water heater in the basement. In Texas, however, it’s quite common for a home’s water heater to be in the garage or the attic since so many houses are built on a concrete slab instead of on a basement or crawl space foundation. If you have a tank water heater in your garage or attic, one thing we always recommend is to shut it off and drain it before leaving on an extended winter vacation.
Leaving your water heater turned on while you’re away is a waste of energy since it will still end up running for up to a few hours each day. While shutting off your water heater will save you money, the risk if you don’t also drain it is that water in the tank can potentially freeze if your garage isn’t heated.
The risk of your water heater freezing is even greater if it’s in the attic. The main concern if your water heater were to freeze is there’s a high chance the tank will end up bursting or rupturing. This is because as the water in the tank freezes and turns into ice, it expands and ends up putting much more pressure on the tank.
Some tank water heaters have a vacation setting that is designed to save energy while you’re away. In this case, you’re usually okay to just switch it to this setting instead of draining the unit. When it’s on this setting, the water heater will keep the water in the tank at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit to greatly reduce how much energy the unit uses while also ensuring the water can’t freeze.
Make Sure Your Heating System Is Properly Maintained
No matter what other steps you take, any of your pipes can end up freezing should your heating give out. While some heating issues are something a technician can quickly fix, you’re likely looking at having no heat for at least two days should your heating system completely give out. This is one of the many reasons why you should also schedule a professional inspection and maintenance service before winter since it greatly reduces the chances of your heating giving out and your house potentially getting so cold your plumbing becomes at risk of freezing.
Honest Home Services LLC is a family-owned company that’s dedicated to helping Flower Mound residents with their plumbing, heating and AC needs in the most effective, most cost-efficient way. We offer top-notch maintenance, repair and installation services and are ready to ensure your home stays sufficiently warm all winter long. To schedule a heating inspection and tune-up or any other service, including water heater services, contact us today!
