Indeed, the winter season is a blessing; one gets to enjoy mesmerizing weather with a cup of hot coffee sitting on the balcony and watching the beauteous forms all around. You take your first sip of the coffee and say to yourself, it never tastes that good, is it me, or is it the weather? Well, indeed, it is the weather. Sunshine never feels so good on the skin that you want to soak yourself in it and get all the warmth. However, this enthralling weather can become a real bummer for anyone if the pipework of their house needs to be protected and prepared for the weather. Once you face it, you will hate winters more than anything and want it to end already. However, the problem is not the cold season because seasons come and go; therefore, you must be prepared for every weather. We all buy new sweaters and winter clothing apparel every winter, but let’s think about spending on more important things, and by that, we mean pipework.
What Happens to Pipework in Winters?
Your pipework would work perfectly fine in summers, with proper pressure, perfect flow, no clogging sounds, and no discoloration, but what suddenly happens to them in winter? No one told you about that? We have got you covered.
Frozen Pipes:
One of the most common problems in all the areas where the temperature falls below freezing point in winter is the freezing of pipes. No matter the material of your pipes, they will freeze, and as a result, you will have no water to use. Yes, a water heater can melt frozen water, but the energy it consumes to thaw icy water is double the amount it usually consumes; hence, you will have to pay hefty energy bills. Not only does the frozen water in pipework blocks the pipes, but it also exerts a lot of pressure on the pipe; as a result, pipes burst out. You want to avoid ending up in a situation like that because not only does it wastes a large amount of water, but it also requires a lot of money in its repairing. Sometimes the burst can be heard, and you can take immediate action, but sometimes it happens almost silently, and then you keep figuring out why your water bills are so high and ask your family to minimize the water usage.
Clogged Pipes:
Clogged pipes, when frozen in winter, are much worse than frozen pipes because the pressure being applied on the pipe is not just of icy water but also other frozen things that clog the pipework badly. This situation won’t just be solved by heating the pipe to melt the water, but it will also require removing unwanted items from the pipe, which will use a lot of your money. Therefore, you should keep anything other than water away from going into your drains so that your pipes don’t clog.
How Can One Prevent This from Happening?
If you have ended up in any of the situations above or are just doing your research before shifting to a freezing cold country, the following solutions will work fine for you;
Pipe Insulation:
To protect your pipework from freezing, all you need to do is lag them, and that’s it; you won’t have frozen pipes ever again. You can do it yourself or get it done by any professional. All you will need is foam tubes, duct tape, and a cutter to lag your pipes. Covered pipes do not require to be insulated; only the pipes left uncovered in the open spaces are the ones that freeze and cause the problem. Just gauge the pipe to cut the foam tube accordingly to fit perfectly. Then open the foam tube from the pre-split area and slide it onto the pipes. It is easy to cover pipes, but obstructions like pipe fittings also need to be covered properly; if you have press-fit fittings or push-fit fittings, you can ask your push-fit fittings producer to get you foam tube that fits the fitting.
Prevent Clogging:
To prevent your pipes from clogging, you must ensure that nothing other than water goesn’t go in and out of most of your pipes. Although sewerage water doesn’t always contain only water, some things should be avoided to put it in the drain. These include grease, oil, coffee grounds, bones, or any other solid or clog-forming item.
