Winter Water Damage Prevention Tips To Avoid Cleanup

The cold winter months pose a unique water damage threat to your home. In addition to the usual water damage dangers that all homeowners must face, winter water damage threats include frozen pipes, damaged roofs, and ruined sprinkler systems. From our water damage cleanup experts at Restoration 1 In Birmingham in Pelham, here are five tips for preventing water damage during the winter. 

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Drain Swamp Coolers

If you have a swamp cooler, you need to take preventative stops with it before winter hits. Fortunately, doing this is a straightforward process. Simply, shut off the water and power to the unit then drain the water out of the supply line and out of the unit. No water should remain in your swamp cooler as it may freeze and cause damage over the winter. This is also a good time to clean the interior and make sure it is in good condition when you bring it out again after the winter.

Drain Outside Hoses

You shouldn’t leave any remaining water in your hoses over the winter. Make sure they are drained thoroughly and then store them in your garage or shed to keep them from freezing. This is simple enough but it can save you a lot of trouble in the long run. 

Insulate Pipes

Your pipes are extremely vulnerable to freezing temperatures when the proper precautions aren’t taken. A few simple things you can do include opening the cabinets that contain pipes to expose them to the warm air, installing insulation around them, and setting your faucets to a drip overnight. A burst pipe can lead to a major water damage disaster in your home so don’t take any risks with this happening to you. 

Winterize Your Sprinkler System

The pipes of your irrigation system are a likely place for water to collect and then freeze in cold weather. To winterize your sprinkler system, turn off the water and flush out any collected water by turning on each valve. This is extremely important since your sprinkler system may sustain serious damage if you leave water in it to freeze over the winter.

Set Your Thermostat To A Minimum Temperature

Finally, setting your thermostat to a minimum temperature is also additional wise practice for preventing winter water damage. Doing this ensures that your home and pipes will remain warm enough. Sure, doing this increases your hearing bill somewhat but it is more than worth the minimal additional expense. 

While freezing temperatures pose many additional water damage hazards to your home, there are also simple measures you can take to prevent this from happening. At Restoration 1 of Birmingham in Pelham, we hope you find the tips above helpful for doing so. Dealing with winter water damage is surely the last thing you want to have to handle. So, if your home does ever experience any water damage, don’t hesitate to give us a call for help so we can be out to your home as soon as possible to help you repair and cleanup the damage.