It’s never too early to start planning! Particularly with your plumbing system, it’s always a smart move to be thinking ahead and determining if you need to make any changes in the near future. For instance, when you know you’re about to enter a season where your geographic location historically gets some heavy rainfall, it would likely be a good idea to test out the sump pump and make sure it’s ready to go. However, on this week’s blog, we’ll be taking a deeper look at a different season: the winter!

Even though we’re just in the middle of September right now, we all know how unpredictable Kansas City weather can be. In fact, just a few years ago, Kansas City saw snowflakes falling in mid-October. With that being the case, it would be a good idea to start getting a game plan together now, so you can approach the winter season in a proactive manner, rather than a reactive one. Throughout this blog post, we’ll help you do just that by providing some of our favorite tips on planning ahead for winter plumbing. 

Know the Location of the Main Shut-Off

Our first tip isn’t something you actually have to do ahead of time, but rather a piece of knowledge that could come in handy in the event of an emergency. Make sure you and any other occupants of the home know where the main water shut-off valve is located. You never know when you might need to use it, so knowing its location is very important. In terms of winter plumbing emergencies, one that instantly comes to mind is a pipe burst. At one time or another, most of us have probably heard about the dangers of frozen pipes. Well, if these frozen pipes were to burst, it could cause some serious damage in a hurry. Knowing where and how to turn off the water throughout the house can definitely help limit the overall toll.

As a side note, if you’re planning on heading out of town for a week or so during the winter season, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to shut off the water prior to leaving. Odds are no pipes will freeze while you’re gone, but it never hurts to be safe rather than sorry.

Added Insulation

We mentioned frozen pipes a couple of times in the section above and that’s largely because they tend to be one of the main winter-specific plumbing issues. Well, an easy and rather inexpensive way to limit the chances of frozen pipes is with a little added-insulation. Plus, you should be able to find this pipe insulation at your local Home Depot or Lowes. Which pipes are most prone to freezing, thus requiring the need for this insulation? For starters, you’re going to want to focus on any exposed pipes in an unheated part of your home. A crawl space is a good example of an area that may be unheated. 

Disconnect Hoses

Once the temperatures outside start to drop as we near the winter months, one of the first tasks you’ll want to knock out is disconnecting any outdoor hoses. Even if you’re a first-time homeowner, you’ve likely heard this tip before in the past. Simply put, when water freezes, it expands. And if there’s water in your outdoor hoses, this increase in volume can cause some problems. Long story short, the easy solution to this potential problem is to detach the hoses before winter settles in and store them in the garage. We’re certainly not to the point yet where you’ll need to disconnect the hoses, but that time will be here before you know it!

Flush Your Water Heater

For those that have followed some of our previous blog posts or on social media, you likely are well aware of the fact that water heaters are a popular service for us. To sum it up, water heaters are one of those plumbing components that you need functioning on a daily basis and I’m guessing you’ll definitely want it to be working during the cold Kansas City winters. While water heaters can fail for a number of reasons, your best bet in getting the maximum number of years out of your unit is through proper maintenance. Aside from having an experienced plumber out to provide a thorough inspection, one of the best maintenance tasks you can perform on a water heater is an annual flush. This will help clear out any sediment build-up at the bottom of your tank and allow your heater to operate in an efficient manner. All in all, the fall is the perfect time to evaluate the current state of your water heater and make sure it’s ready to go for the upcoming winter season.

Frigid Temps?

Anyone that’s lived in a cold weather climate knows there is a big difference between cold and frigid temperatures. Just a couple years ago, we experienced this in Kansas City when the arctic blast made its way through and brought extremely frigid temperatures with it. In these instances where the temps are downright frigid, it’s important to plan accordingly to prevent having to deal with pipes bursting. With this, I’m referring to a couple of well-known, yet very important, safety measures. As easy as these two things may seem, there’s no denying that they can go a long way in keeping your plumbing in working order throughout the winter. 

Let Your Faucets Drip – In most cases, the temperatures will drop most severely in the overnight hours. Having said that, it’s always wise to let your faucets drip. They certainly don’t have to be running at full steam, but a subtle drip will help limit the odds of a pipe burst occurring.

Open Cabinet Doors – In addition to leaving the faucet on, you’ll also want to make sure to open the cabinet doors under any kitchen or bathroom sink. The purpose behind this is to allow more heat to find its way to the piping under the sinks.

While these items above won’t automatically guarantee you won’t experience any plumbing-related issues when there are frigid temperatures, it is definitely a worthwhile safety measure worth considering. 

Year-Round Plumbing Services in Kansas City

At Stine-Nichols Plumbing, we understand that it’s impossible to predict when a plumbing emergency might strike. Evenings, weekends, you name it! While that statement certainly is true, there’s also no denying that some careful planning and maintenance can help limit the odds of a plumbing problem popping up. Being that Kansas City isn’t immune to some cold winters, frozen pipes and various other cold weather-related issues are things we see each and every year! Since we’re currently in the middle of September, I hope you found some value in this blog and will be better prepared for the upcoming winter season.

No matter what the plumbing service may be, Stine-Nichols is always here to help! Water heaters, drain cleaning, water softeners, whole-house filtration systems, you name it. We currently provide services to the entire Kansas City area, as well as many of the surrounding cities. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at 816-348-3481 if you’re ever needing some plumbing help. We look forward to working with you!