How Can You Maintain Pipe Flow This Fall?
Indoor & Outdoor Plumbing Tips For Fall!
With summer coming to an end and fall quickly approaching, there are a few things you should do to prepare for the upcoming Southern Ontario fall and winter and one of them is – checking your plumbing. Thankfully, these plumbing tips will help ensure your pipes stay flowing during the cold season.
Outside Plumbing Tips for Fall
- Disconnect water hoses outside. Leaving the water hose connected means water will be left in the hose. And while this isn’t a problem during the summer, in the winter months the water freezes and expands, which can result in the connecting pipes and faucets located inside to freeze and crack. Of course, it probably will ruin your hose as well.
- Add pipe insulation. Homeowners often forget about the pipes running through unheated areas, like crawl spaces and garages. Adding pipe insulation will help prevent these pipes from freezing during the winter. Protect outside faucets by covering them with an inexpensive Styrofoam insulation designed for faucets.
- Remove leaves and other debris from the downspouts and gutters. This will help ensure the water drains freely during the winter months. If it doesn’t drain, damaging ice dams can form on your roof.
Inside Plumbing Tips For Fall
- Seal leaks. Sealing air leaks around your windows and doors, and in other areas likely to experience leaks, will help keep heated airinside in the winter, and keep hot outside air from infiltrating in the summer. It also will keep dirty outside air from getting into your house.
- Set your water heater’s temperature at 50 degrees Celsius. This keeps the water hot enough for showers, baths and other uses while still reducing energy costs.
- Make sure to clean your sump pump and its pit. During cold weather, the pump can actually freeze and as a result not work properly.
Also, if you are going away for an extended time frame during the winter, remember to shut the main water valve off and allow the system to drain by opening faucets located at the lowest and highest points of your home.
At A Rescue Rooter we’ve been serving the plumbing needs of the Golden Horseshoe and beyond! Our goal is to help educate our customers in Hamilton, Ontario about energy and home comfort issues. For more information about plumbing and HVAC topics, checkout our other blogs here .
For more information on ensuring your home or businesses plumbing is ready for the colder weather ahead, give us a call today or use our online form to schedule a free, no-obligation quote!



