Winter is approaching and while the temperatures here in Oregon don’t often drop to insanely freezing numbers, it still gets pretty cold and your home’s pipes need to be protected. During the winter months, freezing and bursting pipes can become a tremendous expense for homeowners to repair, so we’re sharing a few simple ways you can prevent frozen pipes this winter.
Insulate Your Pipes
Insulating your pipes might be the most important step to prevent your pipes from freezing during the winter. While you have to purchase pipe insulation, the cost of the pipe insulation is far less expensive than the cost of repairing frozen pipes. Fiberglass, foam, and polyethylene are the most common types of pipe insulation.
Leave Your Heat on While You’re Away
A common myth homeowners tend to believe is that turning off the heat while you’re out of your house for extended periods of time will save you money. We can assure you that this is far from the truth and can actually wreak havoc on your home’s pipes. You don’t need to keep your thermostat at the temperature you typically keep it at when you’re home, but turning the heat off completely while you’re away can cause your pipes to freeze and eventually burst. Lower your thermostat a few degrees while you’re away so your home is being heated efficiently and your pipes are staying protected.
Close Garage Doors
Garages during the winter are already cold enough, right? You don’t want to keep the garage door open when it’s not necessary to let even more cold air in! If you have water supply lines that go through your garage, you definitely don’t want to let more frigid air in because it can freeze the water lines. We’ve all accidentally left the garage door open at least once, but be extra careful in the winter.
If you have questions about preventing your pipes from freezing this winter, DoneRite Plumbing & Drain, LLC can help! We can recommend steps you can take to protect your pipes as well as repair any burst pipes you might deal with during the winter season. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at (503) 342-7782 to speak with one of our team members today.