This time of year arrives with so much excitement – adorable trick-or-treaters, family congregated around Thanksgiving dinners, and the magic of the holidays. But with the lovely comes the ugly. The cold weather and bitter temperatures can cause a whole world of plumbing problems. Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is here with a couple preventative measures to help you lower your chance of experiencing these common winter plumbing problems.
Frozen Pipes
Your pipes becoming frozen is a common plumbing problem for Livermore. This typically occurs when high water pressure in the main water pipe merges with freezing temperatures. To help avoid this plumbing problem, leave a faucet a little open to allow water to continuously flow through. If you do find a frozen pipe, disable the main water supply to stop the pipe from rupturing. Try defrosting 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 expert plumbers out to examine the issue.
Broken Water Line
An opening or break in your water piping could cause serious damage to your home. Water pipe cracks or breaks are commonly a result of a frozen garden hose. If you keep your hose connected to your water spout following a freeze, the ice inside can create a pressure build up in your home’s water piping and cause a leak or a break. To avoid this issue, make sure your garden hoses are drained and disconnected before freezing temperatures set in.
Failing Hot Water Systems
If your hot water heater is not functioning as well as expected, check the temperature and make sure it is set high enough. If you own a gas water heater, make sure the pilot light is still lit. If everything looks right, call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning so we can send out an expert plumber to evaluate what’s going on. To prevent this trouble altogether, ensure you are scheduling yearly hot water heater maintenance and it’s ideal if you service it well before cold temperatures set in. Call 925-364-5427 to make sure you don’t get left without warm water this winter.