5 Tips to Prevent Water Damage This Fall

As the time comes to say goodbye to summer and usher in autumn, it’s important to be aware of how the weather can directly impact your home. One important fact you should know is that during the fall and winter months, your home can be at risk for water-related damage. Usually, this damage is caused by a leaking pipe or one that bursts due to the temperature changes. Not only is an incident like this not very fun, but it can result in thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to your home. Thankfully, you still have some time to prevent water damage before the cooler weather ushers in.

Here are five tips you might find helpful to prevent water damage:

Check Gutters and Downspouts

The purpose of your gutter system is to channel water from rainstorms away from your home, so it doesn’t back up and cause water damage to the foundation of the house. To prevent clogged gutters, make sure you’re keeping your curb and storm drains free of leaves and other debris. It's important that water can flow easily away from your home.

Quick Tip: You can easily clean your gutters with a Wet/Dry Vacuum to streamline the process.

Insulate Your Home’s Water Pipes

Utah is known for its chilly fall season and even colder winters, so it’s important you keep your water pipes insulated to avoid cracking or even worse—a burst pipe. One way to insulate your water pipes is using foam rubber insulation to avoid them freezing up during the winter. These are easy to install and just involve you cutting the foam rubber to fit the pipes and peeling away the adhesive to make it stick.

We also recommend locating your "stop tap" just in case your pipe bursts and you need to shut off the water quickly in order to eliminate additional water damage to the home.

Disconnect Your Garden Hose

Since you most likely will not be gardening during the winter months, it's important to disconnect your hose to avoid any water freezing within it. This will also prevent any water backup freezing into the pipes that lead into the house from the garden faucet. We suggest wrapping it up and storing it in the shed until spring to avoid any damage.

Keep Your Furnace On

Whatever you do, don't turn off your furnace during the winter; you will be putting your pipes at risk for freezing. We recommend keeping your furnace set to at least 55 degrees at all times. If you aren't going to be home for an extended period, turn off your water and drain your lines.

Don't Forget Other Areas of Your Home

While it's important to check your pipes, we also suggest checking out the caulking in your showers and sinks, as well as the intake valves for your washer and dryer to ensure there is no damage. You rather be safe than sorry.