No one wants to wake up one wintry morning and discover that your pipes have frozen. If you're not carefully working through a fall plumbing checklist, you can't be sure your home is ready for those cold winter months. These three quick steps will help you enjoy problem-free plumbing throughout the winter and early spring. When you perform these basic maintenance procedures, you can often save the cost of calling a professional when something does go wrong. 

1. Know Your Plumbing

Whether you just moved into your home or you've been there for quite some time, it's critically important for you to know where some basic plumbing components are located. If you do have a problem, you will need to access your main water valve and your outdoor hose connections quickly. Take the time to walk around outside your home to be sure you don't miss a hose that will need to be insulated before winter. You'll want to completely disconnect outdoor hoses and drain water from outside lines. These are quick-freeze locations that need to be protected well before the freezing weather starts in your area. 

2. Shore Up Leaking Faucets and Toilets

Look around your bathrooms and kitchen plumbing areas to be sure you do not see any signs of leaks. Be on the lookout for discoloration in the walls or on the floors, which can indicate the ongoing presence of water. If the caulking around these areas is looking dried out or yellowed, it may be time to make some updates to prevent problems that can crop up during the winter months with the changes in temperatures. 

3. Check Sewer Lines 

Are your sewer and septic lines free of encroaching roots, or are they dangerously close to trees that might break through the pipes? Keep dead tree branches and other debris free of your sewer lines so they won't get in the way of a good runoff strategy. Decomposing leaves are a particularly big problem for exterior plumbing, as they tend to come together in a big mass and can quickly clog pipes. If you're not confident that your septic lines are free of tree roots, consider having a plumbing professional come to snake out your pipes. This will help protect you from a very expensive replacement should the pipes burst during the winter months. 

Did you find any problems as you were walking through your fall plumbing checklist? If so, give the professionals at Amanda Plumbing, Sewer and Drain a call at 740-369-5161 today! Our friendly staff will help get your home fixed up and ready for winter in no time. You can click here to request an estimate on any updates online.