One great thing about living in Texas is that the winters aren’t nearly as bad as in many places further north. Nonetheless, we occasionally experience cold spells where the temperatures get low enough to put some of your plumbing at risk of freezing. If a pipe freezes, it can make it so that you can no longer use hot or cold water at one or more of your plumbing fixtures. The bigger worry if you have metal pipes is that they can sometimes break when frozen. That’s why you should make sure you know what it takes to protect your plumbing and hopefully ensure it never freezes.

Turn Off the Water to All Outdoor Plumbing Fixtures

The most important thing you need to do before freezing weather arrives is turn off the water to all hose connections, outdoor faucets and sprinkler systems. That is so that you can then fully winterize them. This is as simple as locating the pipes inside your house that connect to these fixtures and then closing the valve on each pipe. The only thing to watch for is if any valves are stuck or difficult to turn. You could end up damaging or breaking the pipe if you use too much force when trying to close the valve. As such, it’s better to contact a licensed plumber so that they can check the valve and see if it needs replacing.

Drain Hose Connections and Outdoor Faucets

The next step in winterizing all of your outdoor plumbing is to drain everything. Even after shutting the water off from inside, some water will remain in the section of pipe past the shut-off valve. That’s why you want to open each of the fixtures so that the remaining water drains out. If you still have any hoses hooked up, you need to unhook them before turning the water on to ensure that the pipe fully drains. Once the water has fully stopped dripping, you then need to remember to close the fixture to block cold air from getting into the pipe.

Blow Out Your Sprinkler Lines

Blowing out your underground sprinkler system is also crucial for preventing any of the sprinkler lines from freezing and breaking. If you have an air compressor and know how to correctly hook it up to your sprinkler system, you may be able to blow the lines out yourself. However, if you have a larger sprinkler system, it usually requires a large industrial compressor to produce the necessary force to fully blow all of the water out of the lines. As such, you’re usually better off hiring someone who has the necessary equipment to do this job for you.

Cover Any Hose Connections That Aren’t Frostproof

Frostproof sillcocks are the norm in places where the winters get extremely cold, but many homes in Texas just have regular hose spigots or bibs. You can tell the difference between the two fairly easily as a true sillcock normally has an anti-siphon cap on top just above where the hose connection is. However, a regular spigot doesn’t. If you do have any regular spigots, it’s a good idea to buy an insulated cover and put it over the spigot before winter. If not, there’s a much higher chance the water line inside your house that connects to it will freeze and likely end up breaking.

Check That Your Water Lines Are Properly Insulated

Another thing we recommend is having a plumber insulate certain pipes within your house. Any pipes within a wall, floor or ceiling usually won’t freeze since the void they’re in already has plenty of insulation. Pipes in an attic, crawl space or garage should always get completely encased in pipe insulation or else they will likely freeze. If you have any pipes in a basement that aren’t hidden behind a wall or within the basement ceiling, they should also be insulated.

Watch for Plumbing and Sewer Issues

One thing many people do to prevent indoor pipes from freezing during extreme cold snaps is leave a trickle of water running from faucets and showerheads. This is extremely effective since pipes will almost never freeze when water is continually moving through them. Nonetheless, an issue like a faucet that constantly drips or a toilet that continuously runs can sometimes lead to the underground sewer line outside your house freezing. This is especially common if the sewer line isn’t buried as deep as it should be, is partially blocked or doesn’t have sufficient slope.

There might be just a small amount of water continually running through a sewer line or the water can’t quickly drain out of the line due to an obstruction. If so, the water can sometimes start to freeze. When this happens, the ice then essentially creates a dam that results in additional water freezing and the line becoming completely blocked with ice. At some point, you’ll then end up with all the water and waste that goes into your drain and sewer system backing up elsewhere in the house. This could be out of a shower drain or floor drain. An even more serious issue is that a frozen sewer line can potentially break due to the ice inside it expanding.

While a frozen sewer line is a rare occurrence in Texas, it can happen. That’s why you should be vigilant and watch out for things like dripping faucets and running toilets. You should also monitor your home for signs that indicate your sewer line is partially obstructed. This includes things like slow drains and toilets or incomplete flushing. If you do notice any of these things, you should have a plumber fix them as soon as you can.

Why Turning Off Your Water Is Essential If a Pipe Freezes

You typically won’t have any issues with a pipe freezing if you take all of the necessary precautions. On the off chance it does happen, you should shut your water off as soon as you realize a pipe is frozen. That’s just so you can limit how much water leaks out of the pipe if it breaks. If any standard 1/2-inch pipe breaks, it can leak up to 50 gallons per minute and cause major flooding. Some water will still leak out even if you have your water shut off, but it won’t take that long before the pipe is empty and stops leaking. That means you won’t have nearly as big of a mess to clean up or as much water damage you need to repair.

Contact Us Today

When you need an experienced, trustworthy residential or commercial plumbing service in the Fort Worth area, Cattlemans Plumbing is the one to call. We’re committed to providing quality, reliable plumbing services and ensuring our customers are completely satisfied. We only use the best materials and always take our time to guarantee that each repair and installation is done to the highest standards.

Whether you need professional leak detection and repair, water heater services or anything else, you can trust us to provide expert advice and assistance. We also have what it takes to handle all of your winterization needs so you never have to worry about frozen pipes. To schedule an appointment for any of your plumbing needs, contact Cattlemans Plumbing today.

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