Home Work

Summer is gone. It departed faster than the prospect of a Bengals lead on a Sunday afternoon.

The mint juleps and the Southern Comfort we enjoyed yesterday have given way to the Daiquiri’s frosty slush served in a chilled glass with lots of salt. The outdoor icons of the season have assumed their annual position in the yard covering the sullen, dark, depression-oriented colors of winter with electromagnetic displays of artificial warmth and sunniness.

Now our thoughts can turn to indoor activities and projects that require attention.

With winter’s sudden assault, the need to address issues and take precautions against the cold requires that we take steps to prevent any damage to our most valuable and expensive asset. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), bursting pipes, frozen gutters and wind-driven snow or rain are three of the most common and most expensive problems caused by winter weather.

Bursting pipes and ice dams can cause a deluge of water that, if not stopped in time, can cost thousands of dollars in damage. When gutters are clogged or when an attic isn’t properly insulated, water can freeze at the perimeter of the roof and prevent melting snow from running off. As the water backs up, it can seep underneath the roof shingles and down into the exterior walls — setting the stage for structural damage and creating a breeding ground for dangerous mold inside walls and the ceiling.

Another potential hazard occurs when snow and ice accumulate on weak or dead branches that are too close to the house. It doesn’t take a huge storm for ice to build up on the branches to the point that they break under the excessive weight and crash onto the roof, causing some severe damage.

To avoid these potential problems, several preventative actions can be taken. The pipes that freeze most are exterior faucets, water sprinkler lines and pipes in unheated interior areas like basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages or even kitchen cabinets. Pipes that run through walls that have little or no insulation are also good candidates for freezing.

The most effective way to prevent freezing problems in water supply lines that won’t be used during the winter is to drain all the water from them. Outside water taps can be protected by closing the inside shutoff valve and opening the outside tap so that any remaining water remaining in the pipe can expand without breaking the pipe.

For water supply lines that will be used during the winter, you first need to determine if the water passes through an unheated or uninsulated area. This includes hot water pipes, since the water can still freeze if it’s not moving and the water temperature in the pipe is cold. The surest way to prevent freezing is to wrap the water line with heat tape — basically a rubber or plastic encased wire that generates a small amount of heat when the wire is plugged into a power source. Some are applied in a straight run along the water line, and others are wrapped and coiled around it.

Foam insulation designed to fit snuggly around pipes in unheated area is an excellent barrier against freezing. It’s fast and easy, but experts warn that it’s worth the extra cost to use a better quality product at the higher end of the price range, usually between $.40 and $1 per foot.

To prevent ice dams, III recommends that you make sure gutters are clear and water can flow freely. Another option is to install screens or other products designed to prevent leaves and debris from falling into the gutter in the first place.

The wise homeowner will also remove and trim back any dead or overhanging tree branches that could fall if they become weighted down with ice and snow.

One final area for concern is the sump pump discharge line. Since most pumps release their water at ground level, it’s possible that during freezing weather ice can build up at the end of the line and block it, thus rendering the pump useless and allowing water to accumulate in the area that’s suppose to be drained.

To prevent this, homeowners can use products like Iceguard on the pump line. The device, which is installed in the discharge line near where the water exits the house, allows water to escape from the line even if the water freezes. It’s a $20 expense, often overlooked, that can save a homeowner a lot more money if water backs up, floods and freezes inside the house.

THIS WEEK’S TIP: Switch Direction
As many of us start thinking more about heating than cooling, there are some actions we might take to prepare for the heating season. If you have or are considering ceiling fans, it might be time to change the direction of the ceiling fans. While most say that a fan should blow up in the winter, it really has more to do with where occupants will be in a given room.

Air moving across the body has a cooling effect, which is desired in the warm months but not in the cooler months. The fan should rotate in the direction that causes the least amount of draft to the room’s occupants.

This article appears in Dec 18-24, 2002.