Create a Winter Maintenance Program

Customers always appreciate the contractor who goes the extra step. Rather than just doing the work and leaving, it can be lucrative for plumbers’ businesses to give homeowners tips on how to protect their plumbing year-round, and especially during the rough winter season. When it comes to their homes, people want to work with service providers they can trust. And if you show you care about their home and their needs, not only will they become repeat customers but they will also refer you to their friends.

Bill Begal, founder and president of Begal Enterprises, Inc., a fire & water damage disaster restoration company based in Rockville, Md., often works to remediate the issues created when people don’t winterize their plumbing.

“I often stress how important it is to make the time and find the dollars to deal with a small problem immediately or to follow a maintenance schedule rather than wait for a big event or emergency,” he says.

Here are the key areas to go over when recommending a winter maintenance plan to customers:

1. Spigots
Since spigots are generally not used during the cold weather, Begal emphasizes it’s important for them to be drained so that the water doesn’t freeze and cause pipes to burst. Make sure customers have a spigot with a movable plastic washer that they can lift up to drain and close down the system for the winter and then push down again in the summer for use. Begal says that some older houses might not have a spigot with a moveable washer, so if that’s the case, recommend installing one.

2. Water heaters
Winter is the last season one would want a water heater to break down, but Begal says water heaters that are forgotten about commonly result in rusting out. When talking with your customer, check to see how old his water heater is. You can usually find the installation date by looking at the service plate or at the water heater’s serial number. A gas water heater usually lasts 8-14 years, and an electric one can last 10-18 years. If installing a new water heater, Begal recommends hanging a tag with your company’s information on the equipment to maintain visibility so that the next time something happens, the homeowner knows who to call.

“It’s a way of showing your customer that you’re familiar with the home because you’ve been there before,” he says.

3. Vacations
Ray Vin Zant, a Roto-Rooter master plumber in St. Paul, Minn., who facilitates the Web site's "Ask the Plumber" feature, says if the homeowner is going on a long vacation, there are a variety of considerations to make.

If it’s a shorter vacation that’s only for 2-3 weeks: Vin Zant recommends shutting off the water but leaving faucets open in order to prevent any water from freezing up inside the pipes, which would increase the pressure tremendously, likely leading to burst pipes.

If it’s a longer vacation for a couple of months or more: Vin Zant recommends that if customers don’t feel equipped to winterize their homes themselves, plumbers should be available to come shut the faucets off, open up the meter in the basement to drain out all the water. Then they'll use an air compressor to pressurize the system with air, blowing out any excess water from the faucet and leaving no water to freeze. Vin Zant also suggests shutting off the water heater because it will save energy and without any water to heat, it could cause damage.

The value of antifreeze: “Antifreeze will protect traps if there should be a boiler or furnace failure while the homeowner is away on vacations,” says Vin Zant. He says pouring 2.5-3 gallons of antifreeze down every drain opening in the house will help keep water in liquid form.

Having a furnace alarm: Vin Zant says customers should have a furnace alarm that calls them if the furnace breaks. It can save them thousands of dollars in damage and not just on their pipes.

“If the furnace or boiler fails during the winter, even if a pipe doesn’t break, hardwood floors and fine wood furniture can begin to crack as the water in the wood expands as it freezes,” he says.

Emphasize the importance of a winter maintenance plan
Some homeowners are hesitant to invest time and money into preemptive measures, so it’s important to go over the potential risks. That way, they can make informed decisions.

“Plumbers should let their customers know that [since] a home is one of the single largest investments a homeowner makes and often, their only real asset,” says Vin Zant. “Protecting this asset only requires a few simple precautions and a couple hours of work.”