How To Prevent Frozen Pipes

How To Prevent Frozen Pipes

With our recent chilly temperatures, common winter home problems may be at the forefront of your mind. Plumbing problems are never convenient, but not having hot water during the harsh winter months is the ultimate in inconvenient. Besides being inconvenient, frozen pipes can present serious compromises to the health, safety, and integrity of your family and your home and property! Frozen pipes can happen to you, even here in Georgia! 

Don’t get stuck with frozen pipes and no hot water this winter. Read on to find out how to prevent frozen pipes. 

how-to-prevent-frozen-pipes

How To Prevent Frozen Pipes- 

  1. Insulate pipes that are in colder areas of your home with foam.
  2. Wrap pipes that are at risk of freezing with heater tape.
  3. Seal any gaps in insulation near your pipes.
  4. Replace older plumbing.
  5. Call a professional plumber to reroute plumbing that is exposed to the elements.
  6. During particularly freezing temperatures, allow warm air to circulate around pipes in cooler areas of your home. This may mean opening cabinet doors or opening the door to your basement or your garage from your main living space.
  7. Consider keeping the temperature in your home slightly warmer than normal overnight when outside temperatures drop the most drastically.
  8. Turn on your faucets to allow a slow drip overnight. This will ensure that water continues to flow through your pipes.

Taking the necessary precautions to prevent frozen pipes is important, but its still not a guarantee that your pipes won’t freeze this winter. If you find that your pipes are frozen and you are without hot water, call a plumber immediately! Many times frozen pipes can be fixed easily and without resulting in any problems, but sometimes frozen pipes can cause major damage to your home and property.

For more information about the safety of you, your family, and your home during freezing winter temperatures, read more from the Red Cross.

For an emergency plumber in your area, call Masterflo Plumbing immediately at (678) 822-7095! We’re on call for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

How To: Winterize Your Home

How To: Winterize Your Home

We’re a week into December, and temperatures are finally starting to drop! Some of us in north Georgia have been seeing sleet, and snow flurries are predicted for later this week. Although temperatures are chilly, January and February are traditionally the harshest and coldest of the winter months and can bring freezing rain, sleet, ice, and snow. Time always flies during the holidays, and getting your home prepared for winter before the harshest weather is important for the safety and comfort of you and your family! Knowing how to winterize your home is important, even in the south! Learn how to winterize your home and get started early so that you can rest easy during the holidays and winter months! 

winterize your home

Follow our easy winter home prep checklist to learn how to winterize your home and make sure that you, your family, and your friends stay safe and warm this winter!

  • Invest in a new door mat. During the course of the year, your doormat can get worn down and is no longer functional. A new door mat will encourage guests to wipe their feet and will help to reduce slips and falls.
  • Stock up on outdoor supplies. Make sure you have a snow shovel, and an ample supply of salt or sand BEFORE winter weather hits. If you wait till harsh weather hits your area, stores are likely to sell out of the supplies you need.
  • Pay attention to your home’s humidity. Dry air that occurs in your home during the winter can be damaging to your health and the health of your children. Consider purchasing a humidifier if you don’t already have one. If you do, make sure its clean and ready to be used.
  • Get your fireplace professionally cleaned. If you have a fireplace that you plan to use to heat your home during the winter, make sure you have a professional chimney sweep clean it for you first! This small step can drastically reduce your risk of having your home catch on fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Clean your gutters and downspouts. Having your gutters cleaned before winter weather hits will keep that winter precipitation flowing and can prevent clogged gutters. Clogged gutters can eventually lead to siding damage, gutter corrosion, and foundation damage.
  • Fix all the leaks in your home. If you’ve got a leaky roof, a drafty window seal, or worn out weather stripping on a door, now is the time to fix all those leaks! Fixing all those holes can help keep you warm and will cut down on your winter utility bills.

Know how to winterize your home and follow these tips to help keep you safe and warm this winter! For any winter plumbing emergencies, make sure to contact Masterflo Plumbing today at (678) 822-7095!