Do you have a really old home? Have you noticed your heating pipes or radiators decaying over the years? While this is a fairly common problem, there are a few things to look out for. If you fix them early, you can take precautionary measures before the frost hits and make the decaying plumbing a big problem. Here's the low down on repairing rusty old plumbing before the winter months:

Decaying Pipes Connected to Radiators

There are several reasons why the pipes connected to your heating system can decay. Sometimes, it can be due to the materials of the pipe, which might be more vulnerable to decay. If your system uses a closed circuit, it might be the antifreeze treatment that is used to protect the pipes and radiators from damage that causes the plumbing materials to decay. You can see when there is a problem because the damaged pipes will have a discolored mineral buildup on them in areas where there have been leaks or other problems. Therefore, you might need to repair pipes that are connected to the radiators and starting to decay. 

Dealing with Damaged Fittings

The fittings of your plumbing and heating systems are other areas that might need to have repairs done. The fittings are often connected to your radiators and can eventually leak and fail due to the constant changes in temperatures. Thus, the fittings of the radiators are an area of heating systems that are notorious for failures and damage to the plumbing connected to them. You might need to replace the fittings occasionally before the winter months to ensure you don't have any issues with your home's heating system.

Fixing Clogged and Damaged Radiators

Over time, one of the problems that can cause damage to your heating system is the radiators becoming clogged. This can cause serious issues with your heating not working efficiently and eventually cause damage to the radiators. The heating circuit should be flushed before the winter months to remove any debris before the winter weather. Sometimes, the problems with blocked radiators may require them to be removed by a plumber and reworked to ensure they are working efficiently.

Upgrades to Improve Radiant Heating Efficiency

The radiant heating system you have installed in your home might also have issues with the efficiency that you want to address. Just like with central HVAC systems, some improvements can help increase your radiant heating system's efficiency. These improvements can include things like individual controls for the radiators and zoned heating system designs. You can also install more efficient equipment like the water pump that circulates fluid through the system or replace your boiler with a more efficient model.

Even though the radiant heating system you have installed in your home is low-maintenance, it is still going to need repairs as it ages. Contact a plumbing service for help updating your heating system and repairing pipes before they cause problems this winter.