As soon as the temperature starts dropping, our phone starts ringing. Cold weather quickly reveals any furnace problems that may have gone unnoticed during the summer. Keeping your family healthy and happy means keeping them warm. Make sure your furnace is prepared to work well all winter long by scheduling your service call now. This cleaning and inspection should happen on an annual basis – if it’s been longer, you may find yourself amazed at how much more efficiently your furnace operates after it has been serviced. It’s also important from a safety perspective, both in terms of preventing fires and carbon monoxide issues.
Another cold weather issues NYC plumbers see a lot is frozen pipes. A pipe can be frozen without bursting: if you turn on the taps and no water comes out, or if there is only a slight trickle of water, your pipes are likely frozen. If your toilet doesn’t refill or only refills very slowly after being flushed, that’s another warning sign.
Never attempt to thaw frozen pipes with a torch or open flame: doing so is extremely dangerous. Your NYC plumber has safer tools to use; as it is, you’ll want them on hand to address any leaks that appear as the pipes are thawed. Even a small crack or hole in your plumbing can cause a significant leak. Addressing any leaks right away is important to protect your property’s value.
If your pipes burst, call for emergency plumbing service right away. Do not go into flooded rooms and attempt to handle the issue on your own: depending on where the pipe is in your home, there can be a danger of electrical shock and other hazards. Licensed plumbers are trained to deal with this safely. They will stop the leak and replace broken pipes as needed.
It’s always better to prevent a problem than to have to fix one. For tips on winterizing NYC home plumbing, make sure to check this blog next week!