Every winter we get calls from homeowners with frozen or burst pipes. It's one of the most common and most preventable plumbing emergencies we deal with. A burst pipe can dump hundreds of litres of water into your home in a short time, so prevention is a lot cheaper than the cleanup.
Pipes freeze when they're exposed to cold air. The most vulnerable spots are pipes running through exterior walls, unheated garages, crawl spaces, and basements. If you can feel cold air near a pipe, that pipe is at risk.
Here's what you can do. First, insulate any exposed pipes in unheated areas. Pipe insulation is cheap, it's easy to install, and it makes a big difference. You can pick it up at any hardware store. Second, on very cold nights, let your faucets drip slightly. Moving water is harder to freeze than standing water. It doesn't need to be a stream, just a steady drip.
If you're going away for the winter or even for a long weekend, don't turn your heat off completely. Keep it set to at least 12 or 13 degrees Celsius. An empty house with no heat is asking for trouble. Also make sure someone is checking on the place while you're gone.
If you have outdoor faucets, disconnect the hoses before the first frost and shut off the interior valve that feeds them. Leaving a hose connected can trap water in the line and freeze right back into the wall.
If a pipe does freeze, don't use a torch or open flame to thaw it. A hair dryer or heat lamp is safer. And if you can't find the frozen section or the pipe has already burst, shut off your main water valve and call us.
We repair burst pipes and can help you winterize your plumbing so it doesn't happen again. It's one of those jobs where spending a little now saves you a lot later.
