It can happen to the best of us. You and your family have left for a weekend ski trip when it suddenly hits you that you forgot to leave the heat on and a faucet dripping in your house, which can only mean one thing during this time of the season: you’re coming home to some frozen pipes that will most likely leak and then burst.
Freezing pipes in Northeast Ohio are a massive headache of a situation that usually calls for plumbing repair services Cleveland. So what are some crucial steps you can take to make sure that you’re not spending the rest of your weekend dealing with plumbers?
First and foremost, it is absolutely essential that you leave a faucet dripping or just barely running when you leave your home for an extended period of time. After all, it is the movement of water that keeps rivers from freezing during the winter, while lakes are prone to becoming ice rinks.
In addition to keeping the water running, it is also extremely important that you do not fully turn the heat off when leaving for an extended period of time. While you might think you’re saving money, you’re most likely going to be paying thousands of dollars in Cleveland plumbing repair services once those pipes start leaking or eventually burst.
Another quality option for keeping the pipes in your home working and in one piece is to insulate them with blankets or other insulating materials. This is especially important if some of your pipes are underground or exposed to winds and outdoor temperatures as keeping the heat on simply won’t do the trick.
If you are going to be out of your house for a week or longer, it is particularly advisable to turn off the water to your home. If you’re prone to worrying about whether you’ve covered all your bases after leaving the house, this is one surefire way to stave off both anxiety and plumbing repair services Cleveland.
Finally, if you have failed to take the above steps and have come home to leaking pipes, chances are very high that your pipes are about to burst. However, time is still on your side as pipes most often leak before bursting and thus now would be the best time to completely turn off your water and call your local plumber to prevent the damage from getting any worse.
While fixing frozen and burst pipes can be a long and expensive process, by simply keeping the heat on, the water flowing, and any exposed pipes insulated, these short and easy steps can save you from a real problem this winter.
