Fall Plumbing Tips for Virginia Beach and the Tidewater Region
Freezing temperatures and plumbing systems don’t make for a great combination, but the fall season is the time to prepare for the chilly cold that will threatens to freeze your pipes and damage your plumbing system each year. If you’re unprepared for the sudden drop in temperature we experience in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Tabb, Grafton, Smithfield, James City County, and Hampton Roads, you may find yourself panicking, looking anywhere to find a solution to the problem. If you want to avoid costly plumbing repairs, check out our list of preparation tips.
- The first step is to disconnect any water hoses located outside your home. If left alone, the water in the hoses will expand, freeze, and cause the faucets and pipes to shatter.
- A Small leak in a faucet doesn’t seem like much, but over time even the smallest drip can translate into hundreds of gallons of water wasted. If you suspect a leak, contact a plumber immediately so you can fix the problem and conserve water. It’s important to note that no type of pipe is immune from freezing temperatures, including copper, plastic, and steel.
- Close any interior shut-off valves that lead to your outside faucets. Also drain off any water from the lines.
- Purchase a faucet insulation kit from the store to protect your outdoor faucets. Cover each faucet with the insulation kit.
- If you have any pipes in areas that aren’t insulted, such as a garage or crawl space, it’s important to insulate them before the cold sets in. You should locate the pipes and then wrap them in heat tape or use thermostat-controlled heat cables. This simple technique will prevent pipes from freezing.
- If you find any leaks near the windows and doors in your home, seal them off to prevent cold air from penetrating you home.
- Flush your water heater before winter to eliminate excess sediment, which can cause corrosion and significantly shorten the life and weaken the efficiency of your water heater. To flush your water heater, simply drain a few gallons of water from the faucet near the bottom of the tank. Make sure to connect a hose to the faucet to ensure the water can flow into a drain.
- It’s important to check the water heater’s pressure relief valve, but be careful, the water is hot. All you need to do is lift up the lever and let it snap back. After you do this, a gush of hot water should flow into the drainpipe. If this doesn’t happen for some reason, contact A1 Plumbers in Virginia Beach immediately so we can come out to your house and repair it.
- Set your heater thermostat at 120 degrees F.
- Get rid of all the leaves and debris from the downspouts outside. This will allow it to drain easy when water freezes and then thaws out throughout the year.
- Clean out the sump pump and pit thoroughly. If the pump is consistently exposed to freezing temperatures, it will freeze and stop operating correctly.
- If you’re leaving on vacation, shut of the main water valve. After it’s shut off, open all the faucets at the high and low points of the house to shut off the main water valve. Keep the heat at a minimum of 55 degrees F.
If you’ll be staying in your home during the winter, these tips may be helpful to you. There are other steps that are crucial to properly winterize vacation homes and other properties that are visited less frequently than a traditional home. Contact A1 plumbing in Virginia Beach for more tips on home winterization. We are the plumbers Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Hampton, and the rest of the Tidewater Region have relied on time and time again for plumbing services and expertise.
Areas Of Expertise
Our commercial and residential plumbing company is expert at drain cleaning, plumbing repairs, water heaters, sewer line replacement, water line replacements, water heater installation, tankless water heaters, leak detection, slab leaks, sewer and drain cleaning, water jetting, backflow meter, backflow prevention, clogged drains, dishwasher installation, drain repair, emergency plumbing repair, faucet and fixture installation, garbage disposals, gas leaks, jewelry retrieval, kitchen fixture installation, leaky faucet repairs, line locating, pipe cleaning, pipe repair, plumbing inspections, professional drain cleaning, root removal, sewer lines, sink problems, shower problems, tank water heaters, toilet installation, toilet repair, water heater repair, and water leak detection.
Service Area
We serve home owners and businesses in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Tabb, Grafton, Smithfield, James City County, and throughout Hampton Roads.
