Winter weather temperatures have been mild, but they are about to drop! Now, is a great time to take care of a very important task that could save you a significant amount in repair costs to your home. Remember, your home is one of your most valuable investments.  By keeping it well maintained it will hold its value over time and can help you avoid pricey emergency repairs.  

When temperatures dip below 30 degrees, water in external pipes can freeze…and freezing water expands.  This is not good! Water damage from external frozen pipes can extend far into the home causing pipes to rupture inside your walls. Think flooding and water damage and expensive repairs…not to mention a huge headache!

Luckily, the preparation to avoid this headache is very simple. 

1. First, locate all exterior faucets. Then, determine if you have frost-proof faucets. It’s not common, but if you’re one of the lucky ones, these faucets won’t need to be turned off. The rest of us will need to remove any attached hoses and drain water out of each external spigot.
2. Back inside, locate the individual shutoff valve to each external faucet. These are usually lever-style valves and have a bleed cap to drain residual water out of the pipe. Turn the water off at the shutoff valve.
3. Go outside and open the faucet; some water will drain out. Return to the inside shutoff valve, remove the bleeder cap to drain remaining water out of the pipe. Don’t forget to hold a bucket under the bleeder to catch the water. Replace the bleeder cap, close the outside faucet and you’re done!
   

**If you have an older home without a shut off valve, you should have a professional plumber retrofit the faucet with one of those frost-free faucets. 

Remember, if you are unable or unsure about completing these tasks or need a licensed professional, I have a wide network I can refer to you. Contact me anytime at mkjhomes@kw.com, 703.282.2840, or visit www.mkjhomes.com

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Marietta Jemison is the Lead Agent on MKJ Homes LLC Team of KW Metro Center. She is a REALTOR®️, licensed in VA and an Accredited Staging Professional, ASP®. She has over 20 years of sales and client account management, business development and team coaching experience in the retail and legal services industries. If you’re considering buying or selling in the Northern Virginia market, we are ready to get working for you!

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