Winter weather is just around the corner, which means it’s time to winterize your home’s plumbing. If you have a vacation planned or you plan to head south for the winter, preparing your plumbing system for cold weather conditions can avert disasters like leaks and burst pipes. This guide will help you learn how to winterize your plumbing system.

How to Winterize Home Plumbing

• Turn off the water supply to your house.
• Open all the faucets.
• Drain any appliances that hold water. This may include refrigerators with ice and water dispensers; dishwashers; water heaters; and furnaces.
• Flush toilets to get water out of the tanks and pipes.
• Use a wrench to loosen the opening at the water meter to allow water there to drain.
• Remove washing machine supply hoses. Drain the water into a cup.
• Add antifreeze to drain traps to prevent freezing of residual water. You’ll need to pour the antifreeze into each sink, the toilet tank, and the toilet bowl.

If you’re not sure of how to properly winterize your plumbing system, an experienced professional plumber can winterize indoor and outdoor plumbing systems.