Las Vegas is known for its scorching hot summers, but the winters can often be just as bad for your plumbing. Most homeowners in the Valley are used to preparing their plumbing for the hot weather (nothing worse than having no water suddenly in 110-degree weather) but are unprepared when it comes to winter preparation. Even though we have milder winters than elsewhere in the country, temperatures can still easily dip below 30. Handle your winter maintenance before it becomes a problem with these easy plumbing tips!
Disconnect All Exterior Hoses
Since your home is nice and heated (we hope) during the winter, you’re less likely to encounter freezing pipes there. We receive several emergency calls every year about frozen pipes, most of the outdoors. Las Vegas homeowners tend to forget about all the exterior plumbing they have. Maybe desert landscaping is to blame for temporary forgetfulness, but if you leave your outdoor plumbing alone before, winter comes you could have a big issue. Any outside hoses or unused pipes (for example, your pool pumps) can be disconnected when not in use during the winter. The reason for this is because water easily freezes inside these fixtures. If water freezes and expands inside those fixtures, and they’re still connected to other plumbing parts, it’ll force ice into the connecting sections. Rather than just have one spot freeze, now your whole system is frozen. Avoid this by disconnecting all exterior hoses!
Insulate Every Exposed Pipe
Proper pipe insulation is one of the easiest ways you can spare your pipes from freezing during winter. Insulating your pipes is a winter maintenance project even the most inexperienced homeowner can take on. There are a wide variety of products available commercially to assist with insulating your pipes. Certain products come as pre-cut sleeves that you slide onto the pipe. There’s also foam insulation, which expands to fit tightly-cornered pipes. Even the most basic insulation you add makes a huge difference to the life of your pipes, so don’t skip this maintenance!
Adjust the Inside Thermostat for Outside Weather
While it is unusual for pipes to freeze inside Las Vegas walls during winter, it’s not unheard of. Our plumbing experts usually visit at least a few homes every winter. People who are happy to save some cents on the electric bill by bundling up are sacrificing their plumbing while they do it. It may not seem like a huge deal, but if you aren’t using your inside heater, you run the risk of freezing the pipes inside the walls. Any pipes inside exterior-facing walls are subject to both the inside and outside temps. If you can combat the outside by running the heater, you should. It doesn’t need to be blazing hot to count as plumbing maintenance! Even a chilly 60 degrees is better than off.
For more common plumbing and other related tips, please contact Sin City Plumbing.
