How To Prepare Your Plumbing For Cooler Weather

After a blazing hot summer, many of us are ready for the weather to cool down. As we enjoy the beautiful Nashville fall climate, our minds turn to thoughts of family, friends, and the holiday season. If you’re like most people, the last thing on your mind is your plumbing system.

While Nashville doesn’t get as cold as let’s say… North Dakota. We do get regular snowfall and freezing temperatures do happen on a regular occasion. That’s why the team at Plumbing Solutions highly recommends you get prepared for the fall weather with routine plumbing maintenance. 

Taking these extra steps will go a long way in protecting your home as the weather cools down.

Get Your Drains & Sewer Lines Inspected

While we all love the holiday season — and the company of family and friends — the uptick in the use of plumbing systems can really take their toll. That’s why we recommend having a drain cleaning service done before the holidays really kick into gear.

Even deeper down is your main sewer line. When you choose Plumbing Solutions for your Nashville plumbing services, we offer a complimentary whole home plumbing inspection. We’ll be happy to inspect your sewer lines and make sure everything is good to go. We even have a camera snake to inspect deep underground to see if there are any issues.

Check Outdoor Faucets For Leaks

Take a look around the perimeter of your home before the freezing temperatures come to see if there are any leaks in your outdoor sink faucet or hose bibs. It’s a relatively easy process and it shouldn’t take you long at all.

You’ll want to identify these issues before the pipes freeze and you have even more problems on your hand. Frozen outdoor faucets can affect the connecting water supply line. When the ice thaws, you could be in for some nasty flooding if the pipes burst.

Disconnect Hoses

This is directly related to the point above. You’ll want to make sure you take the hoses off your outdoor spigots. Leaving them on could leave you at risk if the water left inside the hose freezes.

More than just ruining your hose, this could cause water backups into your pipes. And, as you already know, frozen pipes can easily lead to bursts

Get A Water Heater Inspection Done

If there’s any time of the year where warm water becomes a wonderful escape, it’s during the winter. That’s why we recommend getting your hot water heater inspected to ensure it’ll run smoothly during the coldest months of the year.

If your water heater is more than 10 years old, we recommend that most of our customers upgrade to a tankless water heating system. Tankless water heaters supply a nearly endless supply of hot water, can help reduce your energy consumption, and they also last longer than your standard water heater. What you pay for upfront, you’ll easily save down the line. All the while enjoying greater efficiency and warmth.

Shut Off Your Water & Drain The Pipes 

Last but not least, you’ll want to make sure you shut off the water leading out of your home so it doesn’t rest in the pipes. From there, go outside and turn on all the faucets until the remaining water drains out. This greatly reduces your risk of pipe damage in the case of a deeper freeze.

If you want to be extra careful, you can also insulate your pipes using a kit from your local hardware store

Need Professional Plumbing Help?

If you’re looking for more information about preparing your plumbing for the winter — or would simply like the assistance and peace of mind that comes with a professional Nashville plumbing company — don’t hesitate to contact us.