As the temperature drops in the fall, thoughts turn to winter and the parts of your home that need extra protection in freezing weather. The Ace plumbing department includes all the accessories you need for efficiently winterizing pipes around your home and protecting them from winter frosts.
Why Winterize Pipes and Plumbing Fittings?
If you live in an area that sees sub-zero temperatures in winter, winterizing pipes is an essential task to complete before the first cold snap arrives. Water in unprotected pipes can quickly freeze, whether the plumbing is part of an outdoor installation or in an unheated basement. As the water freezes, it expands, putting pipes and fittings under extra pressure and potentially causing a split that will become a leak once the weather thaws.
Pipe winterization means your plumbing will stay intact when the weather is much colder, avoiding the costs and disruption of a springtime burst. Our product selection makes it an economical and straightforward process.
Polyethylene Foam to Winterize Water Pipes
Wrapping thick insulating foam around plumbing is a quick and easy way to winterize house pipes of all kinds, whether they're made of plastic or metal. Our foam products are available in various sizes to suit all standard pipe gauges, in lengths of up to 6 feet and thicknesses up to 4 inches for excellent insulating efficiency. We also stock a range of matching foam elbow insulators to conveniently winterize plumbing fittings of all types, giving your entire installation full protection in freezing weather.
Alternatively, use a fiberglass wrap to winterize pipes carrying cold water to prevent freezing or to insulate pipes carrying hot water to prevent condensation that sweats and drips, which can lead to icing problems once cooled.
How to Winterize Pipes Outside
Winterizing pipes outside your home is just as important as insulating the interior plumbing. The damage caused by a leak might not be as extensive outdoors, but with lower temperatures outside, a frozen and burst pipe is much more likely to happen. Follow these steps to prep for exterior pipe winterization:
- Cover your outdoor faucets with foam covers.
- Remove any hoses or other attachments for winter storage.
- Cut off the water supply using a shut-off valvefor the pipe if it won't be used until spring.
- Bleed out the remaining water to prevent it from freezing.
For plumbing that you need to keep active over winter, wrap insulating foam around the pipes, cover the spigots and other connectors with insulating wrap or a nylon sock, and use a small amount of water every so often during cold periods to keep it flowing. This makes your plumbing less likely to freeze.
Prepare for Winter with Pipe Winterization at Ace
Ace makes winterizing water pipes simple both inside and outside your home. Browse our range of foam insulators, fiberglass wrap, nylon socks and more to find the winterization products you need, then order online for fast shipping to your home. Or, if you need any advice on which winterizing methods will work best for your needs, stop by your nearest Ace Hardware store where our staff will be happy to help.
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