by Marc Phillippe Babineau

Created on: November 27, 2009   Last Updated: December 07, 2009

If you live, or have a cottage or trailer home in a wintry area, where the temperatures regularly drop well below the freezing mark, one sure-fire way to save money is to winterize your plumbing. Frozen water and sewage pipes can burst, break or otherwise make your life miserable, and it is something that can easily be avoided, with a little know-how and some light work. You can save the cost of having an emergency plumbing visit, saving the charges from decimating your savings account, and putting the plumber's children through Ivy League schools. Knowing how to winterize your plumbing can save you a whole lot of money in the short term, and even more in the long term.

With proper maintenance, plumbing pipes will retain their strength and durability, and there will not be much water leakage. When you are winterizing your plumbing, the first rule of thumb is to work on any pipes that are exposed to the elements first, and then work your
way indoors. The first things to investigate and winterize would be septic pumps, water pumps, toilets and water heaters (which should be emptied and turned off), and irrigation pipes and valves; the things that use the most water, or require more water pressure.

Make sure that all wiring connected to plumbing components is clean, and the connections tight and secure. If there is any burning or splitting of any wires, replace them immediately. Do not simply cut off the burnt or otherwise affected portion of a wire, replace the entire
wire. Cover the exposed parts of wires with insulating electrical tape, which will insulate the exposed wire to a certain degree, minimizing condensation and the effects moisture has on electronic components.

While winterizing your plumbing, inspect all pipes for corrosion, indicators of water condensation (water forming on, or dripping off of pipes and/or connectors), and rust. Replace the corroded portions of pipe using the proper connectors and clamps (if necessary), and insulate all of the exposed pipes with pipe insulation, rated to at least 10 Degrees lower than the normally lowest occurring temperature for your geographical area.

All irrigation pipes should have been installed with winterizing insulation, but if that step was missed when installing the system, the work, time and cost involved in winterizing your irrigation pipes may not be worth it in the long term. And, if there is no irrigation system, make sure that all exterior water pipes are turned off from the inside of the house, and

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