With the warm summer days still here, it is hard to think about the upcoming winter, but it is something that you need to think about and how it can affect your home, especially the plumbing. It is something that you need to consider when living in an older house, as the older the pipes are in your house, the more likely you are to experience problems.

Below are some of the issues you need to be aware of with the cold and how it can affect your pipes and plumbing.

Freezing Pipes

One of the most significant problems you can face during winter is when the cold weather comes and goes below freezing, and your pipes get frozen. When the water in your pipes becomes frozen, then can potentially burst, which may leave you without hot or cold water, and also without central heating. If this is something that has happened to you, then you will want to call a professional to fix it as quickly as you can. However, it can sometimes be hard to notice when a pipe has burst, as there are sometimes no apparent signs. If your water pipes have any of the symptoms below, then you may have a burst pipe which needs fixing.

• A drop in water pressure
• Discoloured water
• Strange sounds
• Higher than usual water bills

How To Prevent Problems From Occurring

There are things that you can do to try and stop problems before they occur, and although there may be some expense to these, it is cheaper than having to call a plumber. One thing that you can do is to reduce the temperature of your water heater, which can help to prevent burst pipes and also reduce your heating costs. You can also insulate all your pipes, which will also help to stop them freezing and potentially bursting. If your supply pipes are in the garage, try and keep the door closed during winter which will help to keep them warm. If there is a part of your home that is more prone to the pipes freezing than others, you will want to turn the heating up in this area slightly, which will help to prevent them from freezing.

Maintain Your Plumbing Regularly

Whenever you notice a small problem with any of your pipes or plumbing, you will want to address the issue immediately, which can help to reduce costly repair bills. Blocked drains Portsmouth has are resolved by 24/7 Drainage Solutions, so if you live nearby, you may want to give them a call right away, because the longer a plumbing problem goes on, the more damage it can cause and the more it will cost for you to fix. Often you find that the small issues you may have noticed in the summer or spring can get much worse in the winter, so as soon as you see any problem, look at it straight away or call a reputable plumber.

If you keep on top of your home maintenance, you can drastically reduce the chances of a significant problem happening during winter, which can help to keep your home warm and dry.