Before the cold hits
The emergencies that fill my winter all have early warning signs in the fall. Catch them in October and they're maintenance; ignore them and they're a January no-heat call.
- •Shut off and drain outdoor hose bibs before the first freeze
- •Insulate pipes on outside walls and in unheated areas
- •Test the boiler — run it before you need it, not the first cold night
- •Check radiator air vents — replace any that hiss or won't close
- •Flush the water heater to clear sediment before the heavy-use season
The plumbing side
Frozen and burst pipes are the most expensive winter plumbing problem, and they're almost all preventable. The hose bib you forgot to shut off, the pipe on the outside wall with no insulation, the draft you didn't seal — those are the ones that let go. A half-hour of prevention is worth a flooded basement.
Call for a pre-season visit
A single pre-season maintenance visit covers the boiler, the radiators, and the obvious plumbing risks — and it's far cheaper than one emergency call. Call and I'll set it up before the season starts.
Have a plumbing issue right now?
Call and leave a voicemail — Bob calls back during business hours. For the fastest reply (usually within the hour), email him directly.