The best time to prepare your home and its plumbing system for the New Zealand winter is before the winter weather arrives. There are a number of preparations and maintenance checks you can do (or have your plumber do) in order to avoid plumbing or heating problems in winter.
Checking for Leaks and Drips: Fixing Issues Before Winter Arrives
Leaks and drips that are ignored or left unrepaired will not only result in unnecessary (and expensive) water wastage, but they can also create further damage in your plumbing system.
Have a good look around your home, both inside and out, and check for any leaks and drips before winter arrives.
Drain and Gutters Cleaning: Avoiding Water Buildup
In autumn, drains, gutters, eaves and downpipes fill with leaves, twigs and other debris. This can all interfere with how rainwater flows off your roof and can create drainage blocks. This can even lead to rainwater leaking into your ceiling cavity.
Most regions have more precipitation in the winter, whether that’s rain in the North Island or snow in parts of the South Island. With this increased precipitation, you need to make sure your drains and gutters are clear to prevent water and debris from building up.
Hot Water Heater Maintenance
All types of hot water heating systems need regular maintenance to stay running optimally. It’s always better to keep a hot water system well-maintained than to wait until something starts to go wrong.
Whether you have an electric or gas hot water cylinder or a continuous flow instant hot water system (gas califont), we can help you with hot water heater maintenance so you’re best prepared for the winter.
Read more about gas hot water cylinder maintenance here.
Emergency Shut-off Valves: Locations for Quick Action
It’s a great idea to learn where your water main is and where your emergency shut-off valves are before you have any plumbing issues.
If you have a burst pipe or a sudden plumbing leak, you will want to be able to access these and shut the water off in a hurry.
Take the time to familiarise yourself with these before any winter leaks or burst pipes occur to prevent any unnecessary damage.
Winter Plumbing Tips: Best Practices for Cold Weather in Your Area
- Take the time to prepare your home and garden for the winter weather in your area before it arrives.
- Are you in a part of NZ that gets higher rainfall levels over the winter that you need to prepare for?
- Don’t forget to consider the fewer hours of sunlight and stronger winds that come with winter storms. These can also affect drainage around your property and contribute to higher risks of property damage.
Hiring a Plumber for Winter Plumbing Checkup
The list above will help you prepare for winter and prevent any plumbing issues. It’s also a smart plan to have an annual winter plumbing checkup. We can check all your pipes, faucets, hoses, drainpipes, eaves, hot water heating system, home heating, etc to make sure you’re in the best position possible to prepare for winter.
If you have any questions at all, we’re always more than happy to help. At Sumich Plumbing & Drainage we want all the plumbing and drainage systems in and around your home to work smoothly. But if you ever need us at short notice, we have an emergency team of plumbers available 24/7 – just give us a call on 0800 437 021.