Don’t Neglect Your Plumbing During a Power Outage

As hard as we (and our local meteorologists) may try, we can’t always predict when a power outage will strike. Nearly a million people in the Metro Detroit area were caught off guard this past Wednesday when strong winds left many homes and businesses without power. We often associate power outages with electricity and not so much with our plumbing. However, for many homes, the plumbing also relies on electricity to function properly. This got our master plumbers thinking about ways that could help homeowners to be more prepared for the next time a power outage might strike without warning.

What to do about your plumbing during a power outage

Here is what the plumbing experts at FLAME recommend you do during a power outage to take care of your plumbing:

• Keep water running in the main branches by turning on the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry tub faucets on to a trickle
• If power is expected to be out for a few days, make sure you turn off the valve to your home’s main water line
• Install a backup water-powered pump to a sump pump
• Call a FLAME plumber to check your pipes once power comes back on

Installing a backup water powered pump to your sump pump is something that you can have a FLAME plumber do ahead of time. This will be useful in preventing flooding in your basement, especially if the cause of the power outage is a major storm. Keeping water running at a trickle will help to prevent your pipes from freezing if the temperature is still cold. When power comes back it is advisable to have a professional check your pipes to make sure the water is safe and everything is still in working condition. Follow these steps and you will be less likely to suffer severe consequences the next time there is an outage.