{"id":1100,"date":"2021-04-06T00:33:51","date_gmt":"2021-04-06T00:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatblueprint.com\/?p=1100"},"modified":"2023-04-14T09:36:40","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T09:36:40","slug":"do-you-need-to-drip-all-faucets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatblueprint.com\/do-you-need-to-drip-all-faucets\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Need to Drip All Faucets?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
It\u2019s that time of the year again, you\u2019re preparing for winter, and you’re worried about your pipes freezing. You\u2019ve read online that dripping your faucets is recommended to prevent your pipes from freezing. In this article, we\u2019ll explain precisely why it works and how you should do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s recommended that you only drip the faucets inside your house that are attached to pipes that can potentially freeze if exposed to extremely cold weather. Dripping your faucets allows the water inside your pipes to be in constant motion, which prevents them from freezing. Even if your pipes are insulated and heated, dripping is still recommended because it allows the heat to travel throughout the plumbing system.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more as we\u2019ll be going into dripping your faucets, drip them properly, some tips you can use, and when not to drip your faucets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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How to know if you need to drip your faucets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before you get ahead of yourself, it\u2019s essential to make sure that your home is already adequately insulated and heated. Dripping your faucets isn\u2019t going to do much if your pipes are constantly exposed to cold temperatures and are not protected from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that being said, letting your faucets drip should only be done when you believe that the weather will get severely cold, even for the winter season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In ordinary circumstances, as long as your pipes\u2019 temperature is regulated, you shouldn\u2019t have a problem. However, sometimes the weather can get a bit out of control, and extra steps are needed to ensure that your pipes won\u2019t freeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, you would want to have the unprotected or the most vulnerable water pipes in your plumbing system have water running through them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Why would you drip your faucets?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As the name implies, dripping your faucets simply boils down to just allowing a bit of water to run through your faucet within a specific time frame (when the outside temperature drops to 20 degrees Fahrenheit). The rationale behind dripping is that running water is a lot less likely to freeze. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The real challenge for homeowners is knowing which faucets to drip. It\u2019s always a good practice to understand how your plumbing system is designed. Luckily for you, we\u2019ll be going into a simple guide on the next part of the article on how you can read and determine which faucets to drip and which ones you shouldn\u2019t<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, dripping is not a solution for preventing pipes from freezing. It\u2019s just a temporary preventative measure. It\u2019s always recommended to make sure that your pipes are not exposed to conditions where they can freeze in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Reading your plumbing plans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You always start reading your water plumbing system plans from the main gate valve and the meter; this is where all the water comes from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secondly, you then determine where all the gate valves are located. This gives you an idea of what faucet will affect what group of pipes based on where the gate valve is located. Remember that in a water system, water moves in only one direction. If you think about it, it doesn\u2019t make much sense for water to backtrack since the water fixtures should always have a supply at any given time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given this, imagine that your gate valves are shut, then trace the pipeline that connects your meter to the faucet that you want to drip. From there, you\u2019ll be able to tell which pipes will have water moving in them. It\u2019s usually recommended to drip a faucet that is farthest from your meter to cover a larger part of your plumbing system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We imagine that the gate valves are shut because the pipes are already filled with water used by other plumbing fixtures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Does dripping help my wastage pipes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Yes, dripping will also help prevent your wastage pipes from freezing. Still and unmoving water will always be susceptible to freezing. Since you\u2019re consistently adding water to that system, the movement inside your wastage pipe will help prevent it from freezing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n