Winterize the Pipes in Your Home or Business

1. Disconnect/Wrap Hosebibbs.  Drain All garden hoses.

2. Divert downspouts away from your house and tie into a storm or sewer system

3. Insulate pipes in crawl space (COVER crawl space vents during winter).  Insulate exposed water line pipes. 

4. Wrap Pipes in any unheated areas

5. In your Garage make sure there is a source of Heat.  (Get a space heater for the cold weather)

6. If you have Vacant Properties winterize them if they are going to be idle with no heat for the winter.  (Incoming water should be shut off to house all pipes drained down and anti-freeze added to P-traps for winterization.

7. In remote areas when pipes are unable to be insulated, let the tap run on low to keep water moving to prevent pipes from freezing, before that make sure drains are cleared so they don’t back up where water is running continuously.

8. When pipes are frozen…No water is running at all, when they begin to thaw, look out for broken pipes.  Never use an open flame on frozen pipes. 

9.  Don’t run any fixtures if the sewer is back up. 

10. If your pipes do freeze, shut water off to house and begin to thaw…Make sure to monitor pipes while they are thawing. 

11. Drain you home or business air conditioner pipes.  If you air conditioner has a shut off valve then be sure to shut it off.

12. If you and your family go on vacation or your buisness is closed during the holiday season.  Be sure to leave the heat on and set it to atleast 55 degrees.

Make Sure to tag main shut off valve, so that it can be found and shut-off in case of an emergency. 

Prevent Plumbing Freezes in You Home or Business • Plumbing Winterization

Since 1999 Beacon Plumbing has helped home and business owners with winterization as temperatures begin to dip and affect the long-term maintenance of your water line pipes and sewer line pipes.  It’s important to winterize long before the falling temperatures of the Pacific Northwest affect the long-term water and sewer line piping.  Customers often delay at winterization in the Seattle-Tacoma area.  Our climate is moist and damp and the freezing cold weather hits us when we are least expecting it.  The long rainy season can not be taken for granted in regards to your home or businesses plumbing winterization.  Call us today if you need help with winterization.

If you wait to long and the pipes in your home or business burst from the winter freeze then it will create very expensive water line repairs for your home or business.   Water drain piping needs to be insulated and protected in crawlspaces, attics and outside walls.   In some cases it is vitally important to wrap exposed water line pipes with electrical heating tape first.  Be sure to insulate exposed water lines or call us to help you with your winterization needs.

Stop Freakin…Call Beacon!