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Home Improvement
News,
Tips, Articles
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We have brought
you this section to give you little tips, tricks,
and other items of interest to help you keep your
home in tip-top shape. By using these tips
and tricks, you can properly maintain your home
and thus save money on costly repairs. |
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Winterizing sillcocks (aka outside
faucets)
submitted by Terry Overacker Plumbing,
763-323-8885
It is time to shut off your water supply
stop and waste valve inside your home,
if you haven't already. This valve will
prevent water flow to your outside
sillcocks (aka faucets.)
Allowing the water to remain in the
pipes can cause them to freeze and
break, along with the sillcock itself.
Frost free does not mean it will not
freeze, if not maintained properly.
After shutting off the supply stop and
waste valve, you need to drain out the
water left in the pipe by opening the
outside faucet, leaving it open for the
duration of winter. Watch for icicles
to form under your faucet outside. If
you see any icicles, this could indicate
you have a faulty shut off valve, then
it's time to call your local plumbing
professional as soon as possible to
repair or replace your inside shut off
valve.
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Freezing Pipes
submitted by Terry Overacker Plumbing,
763-323-8885
High winds and low temperatures can
penetrate your outside walls and can
cause your pipes to freeze. Once they
freeze, if left too long, they can
expand and split allowing leaks when
they thaw. This can cause major
water damage to your home.
There are ways to help prevent this from
happening. Leave just a very thin
trickle of both hot and cold water
running at night in the faucets that are
on the outside walls of your home and
then also open up the cabinet doors (if
there are any) below these same fixtures
to allow the heat to penetrate the air
around the pipes.
If your pipes do happen to freeze, do
not attempt to thaw them yourself. This
is a very high risk for fires. Hiring a
professional with professional grade
equipment can reduce the risk of fire
and get your pipes thawed more quickly,
helping to prevent splitting.
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