Living in the climate we do, the cold weather is certainly a reality that we all must deal with, and with the wintry weather comes the possibility of having to contend with frozen pipes in your home. There are several things that can be done to minimize the prospect of having to experience this, and in the event that the pipes do freeze, you are still armed with several options to ensure that your water flow is restored quickly and relatively easily.
If you discover or suspect you have a frozen pipe, shut off your water supply at the main valve and call the experts at DrainWorks.
Thankfully, frozen pipes are only a seasonal issue. However, here in the GTA and throughout Canada, that season can last longer than most. Pipes in someone’s home can freeze when they aren’t properly insulated, or not installed in correct areas, and when temperatures are maintained sub-zero for a few days or more in a row.
To give the uninitiated a bit of a primer, the most important thing to know, is this:
• When water freezes in your pipe it expands
• That water potentially exerts enough pressure to split or rupture the pipe significantly by the time it thaws
• This can cause a serious leak in your home, and in turn, cause serious water damage as a result.
To minimize the chances of your pipes freezing, there are various things that can be done in your home:
• Make sure that you’ve properly drained all outside water pipes/hose faucets using their shut off valve to bleed out water remaining in the line, look around the home, for areas where your water lines may be vulnerable due to a lack of insulation or heating such as in basements, attics, garages and crawl spaces. The water lines serving or running through these areas are definitely at risk and should be insulated to avoid this from happening.
• If you do have water supply running through your garage, ensure the door remains shut during the winter months.
• For an economical option, homeowners can wrap towels around the pipes to provide insulation; however in the event that you want a more professional finish to this, there are several products on the market that can be used to help avoid the freezing of pipes, which should be handled by a plumbing professional to ensure efficiency and safety.
• In colder weather, keep bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors open to enable the hot air to circulate more freely in the home, thereby reducing the possibility of a freeze.
•If you are going away on vacation, do not completely turn your furnace off to ensure that the pipes within your home do not freeze up while you are away.
• In instances of a real deep freeze, you can run your fixtures at a very slight trickle as the temperature of the constantly running trickle is above freezing.
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DrainWorks Plumbing is a full-service drain and plumbing company based in Etobicoke Ontario Canada. DrainWorks Plumbing serves customers from all neighbourhoods of the Greater Toronto Area.
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