Hello and welcome to the beginning of the Fall Season!
A beautiful time of the year when the leaves start to change color, bonfires are occurring, football has started, and the temperature lowers to a more comfortable range allowing you to enjoy the outdoors without dripping in sweat. This also means the cold weather is not far away for us here in NC. I know NC doesn’t always have the coldest weather, but it can and does drop down to freezing temperatures on occasion. When it does, it may catch many people by surprise. This can lead to problems we weren’t expecting, such as exterior faucets and water lines freezing. Before being caught off guard and the temperatures are in a more comfortable range, it might be a good idea to take a little time and start preparing your home for the cold temperatures that will come, and possibly come before the actual winter season begins, which arrives on Saturday, December 21st. It would be good to inspect your home for things that may cause issues, or contact a thorough, licensed NC Home inspector to help you with an inspection if you are unsure what may cause you and your home issues. Then make the corrections you need to prevent the issue from occurring, such as: Close the vents in your crawlspace, trimming trees, cleaning your gutters, disconnecting water hoses from the exterior faucets. Replacing the exterior faucets that are not frost free with ones that are frost free, or at least using insulated designed covers for the faucets to add some protection from the freezing temperatures.
A frost free faucet (Frost Free Sillcock) is designed to separate the exterior temperatures from the actual valve of the faucet. The valve is set back into the crawlspace or wall of the home, protected from the direct freezing temperatures with the handle to turn the water on, out in the cold and leaving an area that should be empty of water between the actual valve and the exit for the water when not in use. When the water hose is connected to the exterior frost free faucet, this area stays filled with water which can freeze. When the water freezes, it expands causing a rupture in the metal where the water normally flows through. This will be an unknown problem until the exterior faucet is used again but will then leak into the crawlspace or wall of the home causing other issues such as increased moisture, wood decay, mold/mildew, and attraction of wood destroying insects, even damage to the interior of the home if mounted in a wall of a home with a slab foundation.
Taking a little time to prepare your home for the upcoming season can greatly help protect your home and save yourself time, effort and cash by doing what you can to prevent any issues before they happen.
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