Menu
Your plumbing system supplies water to your home and is responsible for disposing of used water. It also protects your home from hazardous materials like raw sewage. For this reason, it’s always crucial to maintain and service it regularly, especially before the cold winter months.
However, most homeowners don’t realize this until it’s too late when these issues intensify during the cold season, which could lead to expensive and time-consuming emergency repairs.
This article will discuss how winter can affect your plumbing system and the seven common issues during this time.
Unfortunately, the cold weather can cause clogged drains. The ice can accumulate and block pipes or worsen existing clogs, especially in homes that don’t conduct regular plumbing inspections and maintenance. Your plumbing system can also suffer from frozen pipes, higher demand for the heating system, and an increased risk of developing water damage.
However, you can prevent these problems by regularly maintaining your plumbing system and proactively troubleshooting them. You can also hire a professional plumber during emergencies.
If you want to protect your plumbing system from cold and expensive mistakes, this section enumerates seven common plumbing issues you may encounter and how you can fix them.
People usually spend more time cooking and serving food during the holidays. This active season can cause more food waste to go down your garbage disposal and lead to clogged kitchen sink drains. Besides being an embarrassing situation, this plumbing problem can also pose a safety hazard to your property and destroy your pipes.
Fortunately, you can ensure its best condition throughout the winter by cleaning the garbage disposal regularly and calling an emergency plumber when clogs occur. You can also prevent this problem by not throwing grease, fats, and food down the drain.
Your interior pipes can freeze during the winter if you don’t insulate them properly. It can cause cracks or a broken plumbing system, escalating into water damage. You can determine if you have frozen pipes if you notice little to no water flow from your faucets.
While you can DIY a temporary fix to a broken pipe, it’s still best to call an emergency plumber to fix or replace them to avoid water damage.
When temperatures drop, water pipes that supply outdoor faucets can freeze if you don’t prepare them properly for the off-season. Since they’re usually not that close to the house and people don’t use them during the cold season, a burst pipe can significantly damage the property before anyone realizes it.
Your pipes and septic systems are more likely to encounter problems if you don’t cover them with soil. When they freeze, the drainage system may malfunction, leading to sewage leakage and damage. A full septic tank can also freeze, contaminating the water supply.
It’s crucial to take extra care of your outdoor drains during winter because plastic surface drains are more vulnerable to breaking. You can avoid damage by keeping the drains clear of debris and insulating them properly.
These devices work harder in the winter because of the melting snow and ice, leading to backup because of freezing and clogs.
They may struggle to warm your home during winter, so call a plumber to inspect and repair it if it’s malfunctioning. However, consider replacing it with a new system if you have an older one.
Your plumbing system is more prone to issues during the winter months. Fortunately, you can avoid these frustrating and expensive mistakes by proactively troubleshooting the problems and working with a reliable emergency plumber.
If you need an emergency plumber in the Lower Mainland, let us help. Bromac is always ready to offer our residential clients the best plumbing services during the cold season. Contact us now, and let’s help you stay warm during the winter!
Bromac Mechanical is located in Abbotsford, BC and services both the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley including Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley, Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Surrey and Maple Ridge
Bromac is always ready to offer plumbing and heating solutions and are willing to go above and beyond to serve our customers.
