Winter is coming! Are you ready?
Here in the Twin Cities, we have had an incredible string of lovely fall days, with temperatures above average and hardly any below-freezing low temps. But – before you know it, snow and cold weather will be here.
Outdoor Plumbing and Fixtures
If you haven’t already done so, turn off all outside faucets and fixtures in your basement. Jake and his crew can replace outside lawn faucets with new frost-proof fixtures, and replace the basement shut-off valves if they won’t budge.
Drain any swimming pools and fountains. Contact your pool maintenance company to drain and secure all plumbing lines leading to the pool.
Irrigation plumbing lines that keep your lawn and garden healthy all spring, summer and fall need to be professionally blown out. Every outdoors line needs to be completely free of any lingering water. Since water expands as it freezes, these plumbing lines will probably crack over the winter.
Take in all your garden hoses and sprinklers. They don’t do well in sub-freezing temps.
Indoors Plumbing
Perhaps you already know about problem areas in your home, where you’ve had pipes freeze or burst in in sub-zero weather. If you’re a DIYer, visit your favorite home improvement store and invest in some plumbing insulation and install it. A little preparation goes a long way to prevent burst pipes!
Look at areas where pipes are next to outside walls in your home, both in the living areas and your basement and garage. There may be walls that would be good to insulate now, too.
Contact Jake if you need help in preparing for our winter wonderland. We’d be happy to help!
