Protecting your pipes

Protecting Your Pipes Your water pipes are incredibly important to maintain. Should one develop a leak, that leak could lead to the deterioration of your house’s structure.

Why Protect Your Pipes?

For one, if the water finds electrical lines with similarly poor maintenance, it could short the whole system not to mention spark a fire. So either you’d end up with a broken electrical system (that is expensive to repair) or an internal fire, that could take your house with it.

For another, the wooden frame underneath could rot and wither, weakening the support of your walls and roof. And those beams are not easy to replace.

Not only would the damaged sections cost an arm and a leg to replace, but your family and possessions could also be in danger should the wall or the roof collapse. That’s a lot at stake for just a simple leak.

That’s one of the reasons why you want to protect your pipes as much as possible. Just a little bit of love will go a long way to ensure you don’t develop a leak.

Springtime is the perfect time to get in there and ensure your pipes are well maintained, if you haven’t done so already. Note that this is a rare activity that shouldn’t need to be done for years at a time.

If you’ve never inspected your pipes for safety though, take the time this spring to get it done. Spring gives you longer days and cooler temperatures to do repair work in and outside your Utah mobile home.

Bringing in the Professionals Calling a plumber is the easiest way to do this of course. Hire a professional to break into your wall to find and inspect your pipes.

He or she will have good feedback for you concerning the maintenance of your pipes. The plumber may inspect the system and list ten things you should have fixed, or find nothing wrong with the system and help you get those holes patched right up.

If you’re more about doing it yourself and are confident reapplying drywall and repainting the place, then go ahead and give it a try. The following are three key things to look for once you find your pipes.

First, are the pipes solid copper? If they’re not and you find polybutylene pipes there instead, consider replacing your piping system with copper.

These polybutylene pipes were manufactured back in 1978 and continued until 1995. Although they tended to be a cheaper alternative for your internal piping, they became notorious for developing leaks after 10 years or less.

Should you find any in your Utah mobile home, you could be on your way to a leak soon. Replace those pipes pronto, if you can afford it.

Second, you’ll want to keep an eye out for winterization. The last thing you want is for your copper pipes to burst.

A burst pipe will hurt your house a lot faster than a mere leak will. Winterize it with proper insulation to help it fight the freezing temperatures of winter-time.

Third and finally, look for any leaks that may already exist. Search for evidence of moisture on the pipes and below them.

You may find a slow leak that you couldn’t have found otherwise. Fix that leak and dry out the affected areas as soon as possible.

If you maintain your pipes at least once every 5-10 years, you should be able to catch problems before they become detrimental to your Utah mobile home. Some leaks may develop overtime, but you should avoid many of them with this care.