No one, especially a home owner, likes frozen pipes. During extreme conditions it is important that you be aware of things you can do to prevent any frozen water lines. Below 0 degree air temperatures and -30 degrees and below wind chills are considered extreme weather events that we do not see in our area often and additional steps should be taken to ensure that you do not have any issues with your new home in Dayton. Please use these steps to make sure you don’t have any issues during this extreme weather event:
To prevent frozen/burst water pipes on your hose bibs: Turn off the water valves to each of your hose bibs. On a Peebles Home, these are either located in your mechanical room, under a sink just inside of the hose bib location or via an access panel shown to you by us at your walk through. You will have the corresponding number of valves to the number of hose bibs. There are many valves in your mechanical rooms. Typically, there are two sizes of valves in your mechanical room. The smaller valves are for your hose bibs.
After turning off the hose bib valve, go to each hose bib on the outside of your home. Turn the hose bib in the on position to relieve any water pressure built up. Once all water has drained, turn the hose bib back in the closed/off position.
If there are any hoses connected to your hose bibs, remove them.
For extra protection, you can purchase special foam cones that function to insulate the hose bib. This step is not required but can provide peace of mind.
If you have a Bathroom Vanity on an outside wall, even if the water pipes are not in the wall, or if the Vanity backs up to a space that is unconditioned (Garage/Attic), do the following:
Leave the door to the bathroom open to encourage an even temperature between the bathroom and the adjoining space.
Open the Vanity Cabinet Doors to allow warm air to circulate within. This will help tremendously in keeping the pipes as warm as possible.
For extra protection, you can turn on the faucets in those areas to allow a small amount of water to run. Running water has a much harder time freezing than stagnant water.
Keep your garage door closed to keep the air within as warm as possible. Many houses we build have either a mechanical room or a finished space above the garage that includes bathrooms. This will not only help in keeping water lines from freezing but also increase your comfort within your home.
Keep your thermostats for the furnace between 70-72 degrees and turn the fan on your thermostat from AUTO to ON. Warmer temperatures inside of the home help to penetrate behind the drywall for waterlines inside of those walls and into your vanities to the water lines. Keeping the fan on your thermostat in the ON position will allow your system to circulate consistent air temperature throughout your house. To make this more effective, keep all doors (bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, laundry, office, etc) OPEN to keep that warm air flowing. There are waterlines in areas that you may not be aware of and this will help in keeping them from freezing as well.
Last but not least, turn the water off to the house if you are not going to be using it. Many of you have day plans and jobs that keep you away from the house during the day. Since the high is going to be 2 degrees tomorrow, it will be extreme weather all day. Once you turn off the main water to your house, open a water source (bathroom/kitchen faucet) to remove the water pressure from the line. Once you are ready to turn the water back on, turn the water valve on slowly to slowly build water pressure back into your pipes. Turning the water off to your house and relieving the water pressure is also a good idea when you are leaving town for a vacation any time of year.
Take the fear out of bone chilling winter weather by being prepared and practicing preventative home maintenance.
About Peebles Homes: As one of the top Dayton new home builders, Peebles Homes is a third generation home builder specializing in new homes in Dayton, the Miami Valley, and surrounding areas for eighty years. An award-winning Dayton new homebuilder, Peebles Homes specializes in building high performance (we call them ComfortSmart) homes in southern Ohio. PeeblesHomes.com
