Although this past winter Arkansas has been relatively mild, you always want to make sure that your home is ready. The last thing that you need is a plumbing emergency when it’s freezing outside.

At Ray Lusk Plumbing, if we’ve learned anything in 37 years in the plumbing business, it’s that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. To help you apply an ounce of prevention around your home, here are three things you can easily do to get your home ready for cold weather.

Winter Freeze Tips

  1. Protect outside faucets: Exposed outside faucets need protection from the elements in winter. Disconnect, drain, and put away hoses. If possible, shut off the water supply to the outside faucets and cover the with foam insulating caps.
  2. Insulate water pipes: Water lines running through your home’s crawl space, attic, water heater plumbing, or garage may freeze in colder temperatures, especially if they are also exposed to wind. Wrapping them with newspaper, with foam, or with cylinders of pipe insulation and insulating tape can protect the pipes from damage and save you from an expensive headache when the thaw hits.
  3. Winterize sprinkler system: Shut off the water to the system, close the backflow valve and attach an air compressor to the system. Then, open each sprinkler valve separately and using the compressor, apply pressure to blow the water out through the sprinkler head, taking care not to apply too much pressure. If you lack the knowledge to perform this task correctly, give Ray Lusk Plumbing a call and we’ll be glad to come out and make sure the job is done right. The last thing you want to do is damage the system.

With a little knowledge and preparation, just a few simple steps can have your home ready to brave any  winter freeze Mother Nature throws your way this winter. But if you aren’t sure of the procedure to do these things properly, don’t fret and don’t risk damage to your home’s water pipes.

Call us instead at (501) 664-0940 (Central Arkansas) or at (479) 287-0420 (Northwest Arkansas) or contact us online at this link to schedule your service appointment, and then you can relax because help is on the way!