Winter is Coming: Is Your Plumbing Ready?

Bid Summer Adieu & Winterize Your Home

It feels like just yesterday we were lounging poolside, taking a dip in the water and soaking up the sun. But, despite Chicago’s unseasonable heat wave, temperatures will inevitably drop, which means that it’s time to prepare for the year’s comfiest season.

Of course, getting yourself ready for the cool weather is a breeze. Favorite sweater? Check! Warm boots? Got it! Cup of pumpkin spice coffee? Already in hand. Prepping your home, however, takes a bit more time and effort—but it’s both essential and worthwhile. After all, who wants to face a costly plumbing or heating repair in Oak Park, IL or the surrounding areas in the middle of Chicago’s bone-chilling winters?

The Plumbing Checklist

When temperatures eventually drop, it’s important to make sure that your home and its plumbing system are ready for the first frost. Thankfully, our American Vintage Home team is here to help.

• Protect your pipes. Frozen pipes are one of the biggest—and most costly—plumbing problems in the wintertime. If the temperature of your pipes drops below 32 degrees, they can expand and, ultimately, burst. This causes major damage to your home and a major headache for you. To help prevent this from occurring, be sure to insulate your pipes, particularly those that are in unheated areas of your home, such as an attic, crawl space or garage.

Of course, for help with proper insulation, you can turn to the experts at American Vintage Home. Or, if your pipes are made with outdated material, our team can replace them quickly and efficiently using trenchless technology. Without wrecking your lawn, our expert technicians can fully replace your piping system with trenchless relining.

• Winterize your water heater. Your water heater should be flushed on an annual basis, and fall is the perfect time to do so. By flushing your system, you’re able to remove any sediment build-up, which allows your system to operate more efficiently and allows you to save money on your energy bills. Flushing your water heater can be a complicated task, though, so it’s best to call on our professionals for help.

But, that’s not all. To ensure that you’ll have a steady flow of hot water during the chillier months, it’s important to test the temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve. Once the valve is located and opened, water should pour out of the discharge pipe. If so, then the TPR valve is working properly. If not, our experts will recommend the proper repair.

While the aforementioned tasks are best tackled by a professional, there are smaller steps that you should take around your home, too. These include:

• Don’t forget the outdoor hoses. Disconnect and drain your water hoses and then store them indoors before the first freeze.
• Remember to turn it off, snowbirds. Escaping on an extended family vacation or heading south for the winter? Shut off the main water supply completely, and then turn on each faucet to drain the water from the pipes.
• Occasionally run your water. If you periodically run water through your faucets, the pipes are less likely to freeze.

Valued Services That You Can Cozy Up To

Wintertime is supposed to be the most wonderful time of year. And, at American Vintage Home, we want to be sure it stays that way. Rather than letting the cold weather wreak havoc on your home and your family’s comfort, we’re here to help winterize your space. This way, you can spend less time dealing with weather-related catastrophes and more time sledding in the backyard.

With complete knowledge in the construction of both new and older homes, our experts will help you save as much money as possible and improve your plumbing and your comfort system for the long haul. And since you can’t always predict what’s going to happen, we offer 24-hour emergency services, including plumbing maintenance and furnace repair in Oak Park, IL and beyond.

Contact the Best HVAC & Plumbing Company in Chicago

To learn more about our services or to speak with a representative, call American Vintage Home at 847.999.4595 or contact us online today.