(See Also: Water Damage Restoration in Pittsburgh)
When it comes to water damage prevention, you can’t just passively await the winter months and then begin to fortify your home. Instead, you should take the necessary steps to winterize your home against water damage well before the temperature threatens to drop below zero. From our water damage restoration experts at GS Jones Restoration, in Pittsburgh, here are five things you should do to prepare for winter water damage threats.
Water Damage Restoration Tips For Pittsburgh:
- Have any leaks repaired.
- Drain swamp coolers.
- Have your pipes insulated.
- Protect outside hose bibs.
- Know where your water main is located.
Repair Any Leaks
Right before winter hits is a great time to take care of any lingering water damage problems you have. For instance, if you have any leaks in your home, no matter how small, you should have them repaired before winter hits since it can wreak havoc on your pipes.
Drain Swamp Coolers
An evaporative cooler, also known as a swamp cooler, is another source of water that needs to be drained before winter. To get your swamp cooler ready for winter, start off by turning off the water and power to the unit. Make sure all the water is drained out of the cooler and supply line as well. This is a good time to clean the interior and change the pads. Finally, cover the swamp cooler with a cover or tarp to keep it dry over the winter months.
Insulate Pipes
Insulate accessible pipes with pipe insulation materials, especially in attics and crawl spaces. As the temperature drops, be sure to keep cabinet and closet doors open to allow enough airflow to prevent the pipes from freezing. We recommend low-temperature detectors that send alert notifications to your smartphone when temperatures in certain areas of your home drop below freezing. Another helpful tip is setting your faucet to a drip on cold nights to create movement and prevent water from freezing.
Protect Outside Hose Bibs
It is very important to protect your hose bibs from freezing temperatures. Begin doing this by disconnecting garden hoses to ensure no water remains trapped in the hose bib. Moreover, you can also protect your hose and hose bibs by storing them in your garage where they won’t get too cold.
Be Able To Locate Your Water Main
One of the worst-case scenario water damage events occurs when a pipe bursts. You can mitigate the extent of the damage from this by shutting off your water supply as soon as possible to limit the amount of water that floods your home. To do this quickly, however, you need to know where your water main is located and how to use it. If you are unsure of any of this, learn where your water main is located and how to operate it as soon as possible.
While freezing temperatures pose many additional water damage hazards to your home, there are also simple measures you can take to prevent this from happening. At GS Jones Restoration, in Pittsburgh, our water damage restoration experts hope you find the tips above helpful for doing so. If your home does ever experience any water damage, however, don’t hesitate to give us a call for help.