Frozen pipes quickly break leading to home flooding disasters
November 16, 2010
Frozen Pipelines – A Major Winter Nightmare For Homeowners
Winter, the best season of the year for some, the most dreaded season for others. Wintertime can offer pure white snow, and fantastic images of a Christmas morning, but it can offer bring devastation to many home pipelines. Extreme weather conditions can make even the newest pipeline perish under its power. Many people have gone away for a weekend and when they were back they found their home flooded and water still running from one unthawed, burst pipe. There are a variety of things you can do to protect your pipes from this winter hazard in an inexpensive way by doing it yourself.
- If you have home policy, you may need to check if they will pay for any damage caused by a burst pipeline. Most of the insurance companies will not cover damages after the mishap because they generally have a list of contractors and plumbers you can call if you suspect something might be wrong with your pipelines. If you know a responsible plumber that will be ready any time you are in a flood situation, make sure you have the contact number at hand.
- If you have lived in the same house for a long time, you must know where the stopcock is and can shut it off in case a pipe bursts. If you are new in the house, one of the first things you need to do is find out the location of the stopcock in advance so that you know where to go when a pipe bursts. Make sure that all the family members know where the shut off is in case you are not at home when something happens.
- Another important thing to take into account if you are planning to go on a trip is to keep your furnace with a set temperature of more than fifty degrees. Do not think that because the house is empty, you need to turn off the furnace, the water and gas. A constant warm temperature will do wonders for your pipes because it will help them keep warm in extreme weather conditions and as a result they will not get frozen, consequently you will avoid pipeline bursts. One thing to take into account is that you have to turn off the gas to prevent any unwanted fire happening while you are not at home.
- The reason why you should not shut off the stopcock when you are not at home is because constant flowing water in the pipes will help them not to get frozen. All you need to do is to leave water running. However, it should not be much water because you do not want to waste water that way. It should only be a dripping to avoid unthawed pipelines.
- A good idea is to use insulating material on the outside pipes. There are a wide variety of products for that purpose but the most effective one is insulating fibreglass. You can also wrap the pipelines on the inside of your house by using a special tape that delivers heat to the pipes.
Reduce winter property damage with these maintenance tips
November 8, 2010
Home Winterization Tips
Preparing for the cold weather or the winter months is a crucial step in spending a safe and comfortable winter. Lack of sufficient preparation can only leave homeowners helpless with the damage and trouble that thick snow and ice dams can create. In order to enjoy the winter months instead of worrying about the damages that cold weather can bring, a responsible homeowner must have a checklist of the areas in the home that need to be winterized.
Furnace or Heating System
The furnace is very useful and necessary especially to residents who are from the northern region where the climate is colder and the winter season is experienced during the darkest and coldest months of the year. During colder weather, every home must be adequately supplied with proper heating. So, it is important to make sure that the furnace is functional during wintertime to prevent it from breaking down.
Fireplace and Chimney
The fireplace is also very useful during cold weather. Make sure that the firebrick must be free from any cracks or open mortar joints. The chimney where the smoke from the fireplace comes should be clear from bird’s nest and dirt. If it has not been cleaned for quite a while, have a professional service clean it up. The chimney draft should properly draw up fire and smoke.
AC Condenser
The extremely cold temperature can cause moisture inside the house when it is not being condensed. This may also be the reason for certain materials and devices to rust such as the air conditioning. Since the heater is mostly used during cold weather instead of the AC unit, the latter must be properly covered and the power cable must be unplugged to avoid having the unit turned on during winter, which can damage the device.
Water Pipes
Pipes can easily break down on a very cold weather because the water inside freezes and expands which would eventually burst. In order to avoid water leaks and damage from pipes, it should be properly insulated with foam insulation. The pipes can be covered with an electrical heating tape before putting the insulated foam.
Roofing System
The roof is prone to damage if heavy snow buildup occurs and the accumulation lasts for a number of days. Prior to the coming of the winter season, the roof must be checked for any missing or broken shingles. The gutters and downspouts must be clear from any debris to avoid buildup of ice dams.
Lawn and Front yard
The front yard should also be prepared for cold weather. Fallen leaves on the roof and gutter must be removed to allow snowmelt to flow freely. The patio furniture must be covered, especially those made of iron or other metals that are prone to rust.
