Fall Is Here

It’s that time of year again where the weather quickly turns from warm to cold in Colorado.  Now’s the time to make sure your home is ready for the coming winter and cold weather.  Here are a few home tips to make sure you don’t have any surprises (burst pipes, non-working heaters!).

There are several measures that can be taken to prevent winter water disasters in your home. Below, we describe a few of the basics.

• Locate and mark the main water cutoff valve for your home. This cutoff valve is usually found near where the water line comes into your house. Damage from running water can be minimized if you turn off this valve quickly.
• Make sure the water line to outside faucets is turned off and the lines are drained.
• Consider wrapping or insulating your water pipes, especially those pipes near outside walls, under the house, or in the attic. Insulation supplies are available at the Bell Plumbing and Heating parts counter in our retail store at 2150 S. Abilene St., Aurora, CO, 80014.
• Eliminate drafts. Check around the home for areas where water supply lines are located in unheated areas and take measures to prevent the flow of cold air in these areas. Look in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated. A hot water supply line can freeze just as a cold water supply line can freeze if water is not running through the pipe and the water temperature becomes cold.

If your water pipes do freeze, never try to thaw a pipe with an open flame or torch. Contact Bell Plumbing and Heating’s service department @ 303-757-5661.  We’ll give you recommendations based on your home’s pipe layout.  Know where your water shutoffs are!  Sometimes it’s best to wait until the weather warms up a bit before attempting to thaw or repair the pipe.  Call us and we’ll figure out the best plan of attack!

Your friends at Bell Plumbing and Heating.  Give us a call with any questions!