This time of year arrives with so much fun – precious trick-or-treaters, loved ones gathered around Thanksgiving meals, and the magic of the holidays. But with the lovely comes the ugly. The winter weather and extreme temperatures can cause a whole medley of plumbing problems. Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is here with some preventative measures to help you minimize your chance of experiencing these common winter plumbing problems.
Frozen Pipes
Your pipes becoming frozen is a common plumbing problem for Fort Myers. This typically occurs when high water pressure from the main water pipe merges with freezing temperatures. To help keep this from occurring in your home, leave a faucet slightly open to make sure the water can constantly flow through. If you do find a frozen pipe, shut off the main water supply to stop the pipe from rupturing. Try thawing the frozen area of the pipe with hot water and if that fails, give Service Experts a call and we’ll send one of our qualified plumbers out to inspect the issue.
Broken Water Line
A leak or break in your water line could cause serious damage to your home. Water piping leaks or breaks are commonly because of a frozen garden hose. If you leave your hose connected to your water spout after a freeze, the ice inside can cause pressure to build up in your home’s water pipes and result in a leak or a break. To prevent this problem, confirm your garden hoses are drained and disconnected before freezing temperatures set in.
Failing Hot Water Systems
If your hot water heater is not operating as well as expected, confirm the temperature is set high enough. If you have a gas water heater, be sure the pilot light is still lit. If everything looks right, call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning so we can send out a qualified plumber to find out what’s going on. To avoid this problem altogether, make sure you are scheduling yearly hot water heater maintenance and it’s ideal if you service it well before cold temperatures set in. Call 239-908-6991 to ensure you don’t get left in the cold this winter.