The winter months are the perfect time to enjoy a few snow days, stay warm in the house, and spend quality time with friends and family. That is… until a plumbing problem rears its ugly head. Fortunately, at Hutchinson, we know what plumbing issues you might be up against this winter, and we have provided four below and their solutions.

Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes are the number one winter plumbing issue. When the temperature drops below freezing, pipes in the areas of the home that are not insulated well, including those in external walls, basements, attics, and cabinets, can freeze. This process turns the water in the pipes to ice, causing blockages that continually expand, weakening the pipe walls and eventually bursting the pipe entirely.

If your pipes are frozen, then it is imperative to thaw them out correctly and as soon as possible to avoid a plumbing disaster.

Water Heater Failure

Cold weather means longer hot showers. It’s just a fact of the season. When you have guests staying over for holidays or other events, the additional strain on your water heater can be enough to put it over the edge. Running the dishwasher and washing machine also adds to the strain. During this time, the sediment that was slowly building up in the hot water tank gets a boost, potentially causing heating element malfunctions and an underperforming or failing water heater. A lack of hot water in the dead of winter is an emergency if we ever saw one. Call the Hutchinson experts if you need a quick water heater repair in Atlantic County or other New Jersey areas.

Burst Water Line

In general, water damage in any home is far more likely than fire or disaster damage. For this reason, it is crucial to be on the lookout for water pipes that may have cracked or burst before the ice melts and turns your basement into a frigid and expensive pool. It is usually easy to tell when your water pipes are frozen because it will seem like a persistent clog.

Clogged Pipes

Although clogged pipes are pervasive plumbing problems all year round, they are particularly bad this time of year because you are probably spending more time indoors and cooking for others. Grease, cooking oil, and other materials can easily find their way down into the garbage disposal and the drain during the winter, regardless of how careful you are, causing severe drain clogs later on in the season (i.e., now).

Solutions to Winter Plumbing Problems

Do you have a not-so-fun combination of all the issues mentioned above? We at Hutchinson have a few useful solutions you can try before calling our expert plumbers:

We hope you can now identify and fight the main offenders of plumbing problems in the wintertime. If you’re stuck in an emergency plumbing situation in and around the Atlantic County area, call the Hutchinson team today!