Do You Admit That Your Faucets Don’t Drip Well in Winter?
Every time there’s a cold snap, my brother runs madly around his house until nearly every faucet in the house starts to drip. We all follow this ancient practice because we were told it would keep our pipes from freezing . And there’s good reason to be concerned about this: a frozen water pipe can burst, and this can lead to very expensive damage. While repairs to the pipe itself are often not that bad — they’ll set you back between $ 200 and $1,000 — the real culprit is water damage , which happens when things thaw and water soaks into your home.
But many of us run tap water every winter without even thinking about whether it actually works, or if it’s one of those old wisdoms that has never been completely true. The good news is that dripping water from a faucet can help prevent pipes from bursting. But like everything else in life, it’s a little more complicated.
How to make faucets drip in cold weather
There are four main things you need to know about leaving a faucet dripping in cold weather:
1. Dripping tap water will not prevent pipes from freezing. While the flow of water can slow things down a bit, allowing warmer water to flow into the house regularly (no matter how cold the air is outside, the water pipes going into your house from underground are insulated by the ground and are probably a lot warmer) , water freezes whether it moves or not . This means if it’s cold enough that water can freeze in your pipes, even if your faucet is dripping, if the temperature drops and stays low for a long enough period of time. So why do we let the faucet drip? Because it can prevent your pipes from bursting , my friends. When the water in your pipes freezes, it expands, loading your pipe. If you turn off all the taps when the water starts to melt, it will have nowhere to go, so it will soon create where to go. An open faucet gives that water an outlet that can save your pipes.
2. Secondly, you don’t have to leave all the faucets in your house dripping. Ideally, you should find a faucet that is farthest from where water enters your home. In this way, the flow of water can help the entire infrastructure. If you’re not sure where the water is getting into your home, choose any faucet – it’s better than nothing.
3. The word “dropper” is vital here. There is no need for a constant flow of water – a very slow drip will do the job. You should also consider collecting dripping water in a bucket or other container rather than just draining it down the drain—you can use that water to fill pitchers of filtered water, or to wash dishes, water plants, or any other water treatment. activity.
4. Finally, if your pipes freeze despite a dripping faucet, don’t turn off the faucet . Leave it open so that the water has somewhere to go when the thaw comes. This is also a very good time to turn off your water supply and take some steps to protect your property and property in order to minimize the damage that can be caused by a burst pipe.