This time of year things can change very quickly though so it’s a good idea to be prepared. Now that the growing season is pretty much over in Dyer and other cities around the shop. Now’s a good time to make sure the items you need to take care of in your plumbing system are ready for the big freeze which inevitable appears each winter in our area.
Hoses
The first thing you should do if you are in a community like Merrillville is to make sure your hoses are disconnected from the outside spigots. After disconnecting the hoses, roll them out to allow all the water inside to run out.
Spigots
If you have shut off valves inside the house for the spigots, now would be the time to turn them off. If your spigots are “frost proof”, removing the hoses will allow the outer jacket to drain and prevent a burst jacket and water running into the house in the spring.
Water lines
Next, if you have cabinets with water lines in the outside walls, prop the doors open just enough to let heat from the room into the cabinet. This will usually keep the pipes warm enough to prevent a disaster. Using a hand towel folded up and hung across the top of the cabinet door will usually be enough to prevent problems.
Pipes
If your home is built on a crawlspace and you have vents (you should!) now is the time to insert insulation blocks in those vents to prevent cold winds from freezing pipes under the home. Remember, in towns like those around us (Crown Point, Cedar Lake, Dyer, Munster, etc) summers can be just as brutal as the winters so be sure to take those blocks off the vents when spring rolls around to prevent mildew problems through the summer months.
Main water service valve
Now’s a good time to check that main water service valve, too. Trust us, you really don’t want to find out it’s not working after the pipes freeze up and burst. Give us a call if you’d like our whole house plumbing service. We’ll send out a State Licensed Plumber to inspect the whole system and help you insure you are prepared for a few weeks of 20 below.
If after all your diligent effort, you still wind up with a frozen water line or two, don’t panic. Yes! Plumbing has the equipment to thaw out your metallic water lines in short order and we carry all the necessary repair materials on our trucks. See our service area map on the website and give us a call (708) 847-7045 to speak to a live operator 24/7 if you need help.