Tips on Winterizing your Plumbing #4
Part 4 of 4: Plumbing Services
Some checkups are best done by professionals- but they’ll often save you from unexpected breakdowns and expensive repairs.
For snow birds – A professional plumbing winterization should be performed to keep your house safe from plumbing disasters while you are gone. This will keep fixtures, water heaters etc form freezing if your furnace shuts off while you are away. Any unattended home should be winterized even if you have a working furnace you plan to leave on. Make sure signs are placed on winterized toilets and other needed fixtures so someone does not inadvertently use them while you are gone. Things happen and sometimes the furnace goes off – even if you only have no heat for 12-24 hours your homes pipes can freeze.
Old water heaters are a disaster waiting to happen. Replace them every 10 years (even this is not a guarantee they won’t fail). Make sure to shut the water to them off if you are leaving the house for an extended vacation. If your water heater breaks while you are gone it will be like leaving on a faucet on- pouring water onto the floor for however long you will be gone. Unfortunately we have gotten calls from snow birds that have come home to such disasters and insurance did not cover the damage! Always let your insurance person know that your home will be vacant for an extended period -no matter what the reason- and get the proper coverage.
Call a professional for any of the above listed maintenance if you are not capable of performing the maintenance yourself. The Scottish Plumber can perform most of the above maintenance. Just do it and spend your vacation relaxing instead of worry about your home sweet home. We serve Hinsdale, Chicago, and the Chicagoland area.