tips for winterizing home plumbing

(*The following are suggestions.  It is always prudent to work with a plumber or other individual experienced in winterization as severe property damage can occur as a result of improper winterization.)

• If your home will be vacant for an extended period of time during the winter months, contact our office to have your water turned off at the curb box.
• Open all sink and shower / bath fixtures and allow them to run until all water has been drained.
• Turn the power off to your hot water heater and drain it.  (Note: this is good to do once per year, whether you are winterizing your plumbing or not.)
  
• Flush and empty all toilet bowls and toilet tanks.
• Remove and drain the sink traps and clean out plugs from all sinks. Then, replace each one and fill with a small amount of RV antifreeze. This works great for sink traps, but NEVER put antifreeze in your dishwasher, drinking system or washing machine!
  
  
• Drain all outdoor garden hoses, roll them up, and store them indoors to prevent them from cracking in the cold temperatures.
• Drain your irrigation system and turn it off.
• Drain all outside taps and wrap them with some type of insulating material.
• Consider adding additional insulation around pipes that run in areas where heated air circulates less ~ against exterior walls, in crawl spaces, attics, garages, etc.
• Leave kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors open to allow warmer air to circulate around plumbing, and allow the faucet to drip ~ running water through the pipe, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing.

Again, these are general guidelines.  You should contact a licensed plumber or building professional with specific concerns regarding you home's interior water service lines.