Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
tervals along the perimeter of your crawl space walls beneath the level of the first
floor. These vents are important to allow for air circulation under your home to pre-
vent excessive moisture buildup and subsequent mold or rot problems. In our loca-
tion, these foundation vents are typically blocked from the inside with a piece of
foam or fiberglass insulation, or some other type of covering to block air flow during
the freezing months to help hold heat inside the crawl space to prevent pipes from
freezing. In the spring these vent blocks are removed to allow for ventilation and air
circulation during the warmer months.
• It is a good idea to actuate your home's main water shut-off valve twice a year, such
as when you do your fall and spring winterizing routine. Some of these valves have a
tendency to lock up over the years if they are never actuated, meaning that if you
suddenly find yourself in a situation where you need to shut off your water and drain
your plumbing during a hard freeze, and you find your main shut-off valve is locked
up from years of neglect, you will be out of luck and your pipes may freeze and
burst. Plumbing codes and standards of construction vary depending upon location
and age of construction. If you can't find your home's main water shut-off valve, you
may need to call out a plumber to locate it for you.
Draining and Freeze-Protecting Your Plumbing
When the power goes out for just a few hours, you won't normally need to be concerned with
the possibility that your plumbing will freeze. When the power goes out for a day or more, and
the outside temperatures are well below freezing, it is absolutely critical that your plumbing be
protected. Depending on a variety of factors, including how well your home is insulated, and
how cold it is outside, it may be days after the power goes out before your plumbing starts to
freeze, or it may be just a few hours.
Water expands when it freezes. When the water in your plumbing is frozen hard, it will
usually split copper piping and ceramic fixtures such as toilet bowls and tanks, and stands a de-
cent chance of damaging the rest of the piping and plumbing fixtures in your home, including
the solenoid valves inside your dish and clothes washers.
Note:
Protecting your plumbing from a hard freeze is of vital importance! Once your piping
and/or plumbing fixtures have split from a hard freeze, in addition to having to replace all dam-
aged pipes and fixtures (some of which may be buried inside of walls), if left unattended, once
the plumbing thaws out you will have a flood on your hands that could totally trash your home.
The most vulnerable plumbing in your home will be plumbing that is next to, or running
through, exterior walls, such as the pipes under many kitchen sinks that are located under an
