It’s important to protect your plumbing during the cold winter months. Here are a few things that you should do as soon as possible to prepare your plumbing for winter.

1. Insulate Your Pipes to Prepare Your Plumbing for Winter

To protect your plumbing, insulate your exposed pipes that are located in the crawlspace, basement, or outside. You can buy pipe insulation at any home improvement store.

2. Prepare Your Plumbing for Winter by Sealing Leaks

The next step to prepare your plumbing is a visual check for leaks. Look for moisture, stains, and rust around plumbing fixtures. Seal any leaks you find.

3. Drain Outdoor Faucets

Make sure that all of your outdoor faucets have been drained so that they do not get damaged from the ice during the harsh winter months. Remove any garden hoses from the spigots and store them in the garage.

4. Check Your Water Heater to Prepare Your Plumbing for Winter

Check the water heater for leaks before winter. Wrapping a tank water heater in an insulative blanket helps save energy. If it already has insulation, then make sure that any exposed sections are taken care of with either a cover or another layer of insulation.

5. Sump Pump Check

Test your sump pump in case of basement flooding during the winter months. Also, make sure you clean the sump pump filter to prevent plumbing back up into the house.

6. Check Your Faucets for Leaks

Check all of your faucets for any leaks by pulling back the rubber seal on the washer inside.

7. Turn the Water Supply Off for an Extended Time Away

If you are leaving for the winter and want to make sure that plumbing problems don’t occur, turn off your water supply. By doing this to prepare your plumbing for winter, you’re less likely to have issues with your pipes during the cold months.

JBS Home Inspections offers home inspection services to Greater Boston. Contact us to schedule an inspection.