Prevent Your Home’s Water Pipes from Freezing!
By Lucas on Jan 08, 2014
If you live in North America, you’ve recently heard the term “polar vortex” used either online, in the paper, or during random conversation by the water cooler. Basically, the weather is setting records and you’re wearing three sweaters under your coat.
With temperatures dropping so low, you may experience frozen water pipes in your home. The City of Toronto recently released a few tips on how to deal with that situation.
How do my water pipes freeze?
When standing water in a pipe is exposed to frigid outdoor temperatures, there’s a good chance that water will become a solid hassle.
How do I know if my water pipes are frozen?
Turn on a few taps in your home. If no water comes out and it’s -35 degrees celsius outside, those pipes are probably frozen.
A few things to NOT do when thawing frozen water pipes:
- DO NOT use a torch or open flame to heat the water pipes. It’s a fire hazard.
- Know the location of your master water shut-off valve. Frozen water pipes can break easily, and if your water starts flowing, you’re going to want to turn it off.
How do I thaw my water pipes properly?
1) Turn on a cold tap in the basement.
2) Use a blow dryer on the pipe that you suspect is frozen. Leave for one to two hours and check on it repeatedly.
3) Wrap a warm towel or rag around the water pipe.
Depending on how cold/awful it is outside, this process could take up to six hours. If your water still doesn’t start working, call a licensed plumber. And if all of this sounds like way too much work to begin with, just replace step 1 with “dial plumber’s phone number.”
How do I prevent my water pipes from freezing?
- Leave a tap or two open to allow a trickle of water to flow. If the water is moving, it is less likely to freeze.
- If you’re leaving your home for an extended period of time, shut off the main service valve in the basement and then open all your taps to drain the water from your pipes.
- If your pipes are attached to an uninsulated outside wall, remove the clamp and carefully pull the pipes away from the wall. Then wrap them with insulation (foam pipe covers, which are available at any home improvement store).
- If you have water pipes in your garage, keep all doors closed.
- Open all your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry cabinets to allow warm air to circulate around your water pipes.
Stay warm everyone!
