prevent frozen drains - tulsa ok
If you have any property in the northern climate zones, that are going to be left uninhabited during the winter months, you must drain pipes to prevent freezing. Although not a very difficult task, it can be a bit tedious because you have to be sure that most, if not all, of the water has been purged to prevent damage to the pipes.When you drain pipes to prevent freezing, make sure the main water supply valve has been turned off first, and it is usually located in the basement or a crawl space next to the water meter. Once the water has been turned off, you can proceed.
Always start on the top floor. Water runs down with gravity, so drain pipes to prevent freezing on the upper floor first.
Turn on all faucets. Any leftover pressure will force water out of these fixtures.
Drain toilet tanks and bowls. Flush the toilets repeatedly until all of the tank water is drained. If possible, scoop out as much of the toilet bowl water that you can. If that can't be done, pour in a cup of biodegradable RV anti-freeze into the bowl. This will keep the left over water from freezing.
Drain your hot water tank. Turn off the gas or electric power first, than drain the tank fully. A siphon effect will pull out most of the leftover hot and cold water from the pipes.
Drain pipes. There are two things you can do for drain pipes. You can send compressed air into each drain to force the water out. If you don't have an air compressor, you can pour biodegradable RV anti-freeze into each drain. Doing either one of these will ensure that your drain pipes won't freeze and rupture.
By following these simple tips, you'll have peace of mind knowing that your pipes will be intact and problem free next time they are used.
If you need more information about draining your pipes, please feel free to contact Air Assurance. We've been serving the Broken Arrow and Tulsa area since 1985.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Paul-Tessier/Shutterstock”