Returning to Your Winter Home: What You Need to Know About Plumbing and HVAC Systems
When
you return to Arizona for the colder months, it is likely that your winter home
will not quite feel the same. That is because even with good winter HVAC preparation
in Mesa, AZ, your home still requires time and effort to prepare for
inhabitation. Here are five steps you need to make your home a livable space
again for the winter:
- Turn on the electricity: Before leaving your home, it is
expected that you will turn off the circuits to reduce fire hazards and
energy waste. Normally, all you need to leave running is the lighting and HVAC
system. Now that you have returned, go to the fuse box and turn everything
back on. Without fully functioning circuits, you will not be able to get
the plumbing to work again. - Replenish water supply: Plumbing is vulnerable in winter, and
even Arizona has freezing nights. You likely emptied the tank heater and
cleared lines before you left, but now it is time to activate all of this
again. Reconnect any pipes that you disconnected and turn on the shutoff
valves. Give water heaters a chance to refill, and run water through
fixtures to clear out rust or debris. If you have a water softener,
reactivate that, too. You will likely hear hissing sounds as you turn on
the main water supply and any shutoff valves. This is normal, as air often
gets trapped while your winter home is unoccupied. - Be careful with plumbing fixtures: You want to handle plumbing during
winter in Mesa, AZ one room at a time. Start with a bathroom and open the
fixture about halfway. You will hear a hiss, and vigorous water flow should
follow. Once you check all the running water fixtures, move on to the
water in refrigerators and ice makers. It is a good idea to change any
filters, as the old ones might leave water tasting stale. Another
challenging appliance is the dishwasher. Run it first without dishes so it
can work out any issues that affect water supply and draining. After that,
it should run well without incident. Once you finish these steps, check
the fixtures again—at this point, they should be running normally. - Plug in appliances: Even if you turn off the electricity,
it is still a good idea to unplug appliances before leaving your home for
the season. Upon your return, you can plug them back in. The same is true
of any lamps or small appliances you left unplugged. - Turn on the gas: Your gas-powered appliances and
hot water tanks will not run without a functioning supply. You likely
turned off the gas supply to prevent leaks and returning to your home to
carbon monoxide poisoning. Now that you are back, turn it back on so you
can enjoy hot water and run your kitchen appliances.
PlumbSmart
Plumbing Heating and Air can assist you if there are any repair or maintenance
issues after winter HVAC preparation in Mesa, AZ. We know plumbing in winter
can be fussy, and we are prepared to get it working again. Contact us today to schedule
a visit.
