Water Damage Series:
How To Leach Your Pipes and Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter
It happens like clockwork. Every Winter and every Spring we see bursting pipes and water damage from frozen pipes in Central Oregon. More often than not, and especially the calls from the spring, residents leaving town forget to winterize their home and return to a musty home come spring or summer.
Nobody wants water damage in their home. Here are some simple instructions on how to leach the pipes in your home and prevent freezing pipes this winter.
Turn off the Water Main
Every home has a water source. Whether you’re on well water out in Deschutes County or on the City of Bend, Oregon, public water, you have a main water line and a water shut-off valve. The location of your water shut-off valve varies depends on your water source and the design of your home.
In cooler climates, like ours, water meters and water shut-off valves are located inside, in basements or other heated and warm areas. Typically, these valves are hidden, but accessible through small doors. If you need help locating your shut-off valve, you can call a plumber, mechanically-inclined friend, or even call us.
PRO TIP: Find this valve and learn how to use it before you need to.
If this main line is turned off, you can’t leak more water than is already in your home – which brings us to the next point.
Leach Your Water Lines Before You Leave Your Home
Okay, this part is easy. You can’t leak water into your house if the pipes are empty. Find the downstairs faucet that is farthest from your shut-off valve and let it run until it’s done. Make sure that you shut off the source first, or else you’re going to have a water bill that will make Sea World noxious.
ECO TIP: Don’t waste the water. If you can, collect most of it from the bathtub faucet into a/some buckets and reuse it to water some vegetation or store it for camping in a water container.
Double Check the Water Meter
Think the water is off? Check the water meter outside. If you turn the faucet on and the meter doesn’t spin, that is a good indication that the water is off.
Other Frozen Pipe Issues to Consider
Most insurance policies in Central Oregon cover busted pipes and water leaks from frozen pipes, but some policies do not cover water damage from “negligence.” Some policies require heat or water pipe leaching to ensure coverage of a water loss. Check with your insurance provider or Central Oregon insurance agent to see what’s covered in your policy.
Whether you are covered or not, leaching your lines to prevent freezing pipes and other preventative measures could save you a large water bill, a claim and headache.
Do you have water damage from frozen pipes?
Call on the local, trusted experts in Bend. Give us a call and we can send out a Water Damage team anywhere in Central Oregon for a free estimate.
If you have any questions about water damage, contact ServiceMaster in Bend to learn more, and check out our damage restoration and clean up page to learn more about our services.
