Are Your Pipes Winter Ready?

As the winter weather in Brooklyn peaks, we can expect cold surges and icy weather to impact our homes. One of the biggest concerns for homeowners is the possibility of frozen pipes bursting.

In order to prepare for the winter months, we encourage all of our customers to remain informed of their home’s plumbing condition. One of the best preventive measures you can take for your space is to schedule a Brooklyn home inspection, where a licensed professional will review all aspects of your plumbing system.

However, you can also take certain measures to prepare your pipes for the onset of cold weather. Here are a few preventative techniques, as highlighted by the American Red Cross, that you can take to ensure your pipes are winter ready this season:

• Complete a walk-through of your home to establish the location of all water supply lines. Look in every area, including crawl spaces, garages, and under bathroom or kitchen cabinets, to locate all supply lines in unheated spaces.
• Make sure all pipes in these unheated spaces are insulated. Exposed pipes can be insulated with many different materials such as rags, electrical heat tape, or even newspapers.
• For extra prevention, leave kitchen and bathroom cabinets open to allow warm air to circulate around plumbing.
• Know the location of shut-off valves in case of an emergency. At Petri Plumbing, we offer a free valve tagging service for customers. Valve tagging marks all valves in your home so you can locate them simply by reading the labels.
• Drain all water from swimming pool and sprinkler supply lines. Hoses used outdoors should also be removed, drained, and put away for the remainder of the season.
• During periods of extremely cold temperatures, an interior faucet should be left running with a steady trickle.

Even when you’ve taken precautions, unfortunate circumstances can still cause a pipe to burst. If a pipe in your home bursts, your walls, flooring, and valuables could fall victim to severe water damage. If you have a burst pipe in Brooklyn, call Petri Plumbing right away for NYC emergency plumbing services at 718-748-1254.