Finding Solutions to Common Winter Plumbing Issues

Finding Solutions to Common Winter Plumbing Issues Winter in Colorado is a wonderful time of year complete with winter sports, majestic snowy mountains, and plenty of community activities. Something no one wants to think about during the winter is their plumbing. Did I winterize everything correctly? Are my pipes going to freeze during the next cold snap? This line of thinking can lead to headaches over the winter months when you should be focusing on quality time with your friends and family. There are a handful of very common issues most plumbers get called in for during the winter that can be diagnosed and prevented easily. We are going to take a look at a few of those issues and some possible solutions. Drains clogged by excess food and debri is probably the most common issues plumbers face around the holidays. The reason being that most people have family and friends in town from out of state, so they are having huge celebrations and cooking at home quite a bit more. As other family members help with the cooking and cleaning that are less familiar with your plumbing it can cause some pipes to back up and in extreme cases totally clog your kitchen plumbing system. To prevent this from happening just set up some basic kitchen guidelines such as, no grease or oily substances should be washed down the sink, and avoid excess amounts of food going down the disposal at once. If you adhere to those guidelines and your drain is still clogged, give Jolly Plumbing a call and we will arrive as soon as possible to diagnose the issue.

Frozen pipes are easily one of the biggest worries for homeowners during the winter months. The freezing ground temperature combined with pressurized water traveling all over your house can lead to frozen blockages if you are not careful. The most important thing to remember is do not overuse plumbing if you suspect any part of the system may be frozen. One of the common signs is a gradual loss of pressure in showers and sinks. To reduce the pressure on the system and prevent freezing, just leave sinks on very low so the water is coming out as a drip. Another prevention method is to wrap pipes in insulation that you feel may be susceptible to freezing. The one plumbing issue that occurs during the winter that no homeowner wants to deal with is water heater failure. Not having hot water can quickly turn your warm and cozy home into a complete headache. Water heaters have to work overtime in the winter simply because the water being pumped into them is much colder, and colder water takes longer to heat. If your home uses a heating system that relies on hot water being pumped throughout the house this can add another dimension of stress to the water heater as well. The only way to really prevent a failure is to reduce the water heater temperature and try to reduce the use of hot water. If you have a feeling any of the issues discussed above are happening in your home, don’t hesitate to call Jolly Plumbing.