Winter hits the Geelong region, and suddenly, your pipes decide to throw a tantrum. One minute you’re enjoying a hot cuppa, the next you’re dealing with a flooded laundry or freezing cold showers. Sound familiar? These winter plumbing problems aren’t just inconvenient – they’re expensive. Most of them are completely avoidable if you know what to look for.
When Pipes Go Pop
Let’s talk about every homeowner’s winter nightmare: burst pipes. When water freezes, it expands. Your pipes? They don’t appreciate being stretched like a balloon. So, the question becomes, how do you know if a pipe has burst? It’s usually pretty obvious: your water pressure drops to a dribble. You’ll probably notice mysterious puddles appearing where they shouldn’t be. There could be strange noises coming from inside your walls (and no, it’s not ghosts). Or, perhaps your water bill arrives, and you nearly choke on your coffee.
The fix is dead simple: insulate your pipes before winter hits. Those exposed pipes under your house or stuck to outside walls need protection. Pipe sleeves or heat tape will do the trick. Spend a bit now, and you’ll save thousands later.
Hot Water Headaches
Nothing ruins a winter morning quite like jumping in the shower only to be blasted with Antarctic-temperature water. Your hot water system is working overtime in winter, and sometimes it just gives up. Your water heater is like your car – it needs regular check-ups to keep running smoothly. Get someone in to look at the element, pilot light, and all the other bits before winter arrives. A good flush to clear out the gunk can help too. Trust us, you don’t want to discover your hot water system has carked it on the coldest morning of the year.
Outdoor Plumbing Pitfalls
Your garden hose might seem tough, but leave it connected to the tap through winter, and you’re asking for trouble. When the temperature plummets, plastic hoses crack faster than a dropped phone screen. And the winter cold can cause unnoticed leaks to expand fast, so be on the lookout for those.
How to find a leaking water pipe before it becomes a disaster? Start by taking a walk around your place. See any soggy patches in the lawn that shouldn’t be there? That’s not your neighbour’s sprinkler being generous. Check your water meter when nothing’s running – if those numbers are still climbing, you’ve got a leak somewhere. Listen out for water running when all your taps are off. Catching leaks early saves you from major headaches later. If you know you have one but can’t find its specific location, we have proper leak detection gear to do the job. We handle water leaks and burst pipes regularly, and can help you get this sorted fast.
When to Hit the Panic Button
Some winter plumbing problems can’t wait. Burst pipe flooding your kitchen? Hot water system dead in the middle of a cold snap? Blocked drain backing up into your bathroom? That’s when you need help, and you need it now. We’ve been fixing Geelong’s plumbing disasters for nearly 20 years. Our experienced, licensed plumbers are available 24/7 because burst pipes don’t care if it’s 2am on a Sunday or 9am on Monday. When disaster strikes, our emergency plumbing team will be there.
Don’t Get Caught Cold
Winter plumbing problems are like that mate who always turns up uninvited – best to deal with them before they become a real problem. A quick once-over of your plumbing before winter, some pipe insulation, and a hot water service check-up will save you from nasty surprises.
Need your plumbing sorted before winter hits? Give our friendly team a call. We’ll make sure your pipes stay happy and your showers stay hot, no matter what the winter weather throws at our region.
