Why it matters to the pipes
Ice needs more room than water. Trapped between a frozen plug and a shut tap, the water left in a pipe is squeezed until copper gives way. The damage often stays hidden until the thaw, when water suddenly pours out of a wall or ceiling. Toronto winters bring stretches of minus fifteen and colder, and the wind off Lake Ontario drives cold air into gaps that seem harmless in October.
Etobicoke has plenty of houses where the kitchen sits on an outside wall, and many bungalows have had rear additions built over shallow crawlspaces. Both arrangements leave supply lines in the coldest part of the building. A few preventive hours in autumn cost far less than a ceiling repair in February.
Have to hand
- A flashlight and a bucket
- Old towels and a pair of gloves
- The way to the main valve
Put the tools down if
- Water will not stop at the valve
- Sewage rises in a floor drain
- You smell gas near the heater
The steps, in order
Work through these tasks once the leaves are down and before the ground first turns hard.
- Shut off outdoor taps. Close the interior valve that feeds each hose bib, run the outdoor spout until it empties, then leave it cracked open. Disconnect and store hoses.
- Find exposed pipes. Check unheated spaces: garages, crawlspaces, cold cellars, porches built over basements and the backs of kitchen cabinets on outside walls.
- Insulate them. Split foam tubing costs little and slips straight over the pipe. For pipes that froze before, consider a thermostatically controlled heat cable rated for the purpose.
- Seal draughts. Caulk or foam gaps where pipes, wires and dryer vents pass through rim joists and outside walls.
- Keep heat on. Never set the thermostat below about 13°C, even when you are away.
- During a deep freeze, prop open the sink cupboards that sit against outside walls and let a vulnerable tap drip slowly.
Common missteps
- Leaving a hose attached to an outdoor tap. The trapped water stops the tap from draining, even if it is frost-free.
- Insulating a pipe so tightly against an outside wall that the warm side is covered too.
- Reaching for a torch or lighter to warm a frozen pipe, which can set framing alight.
- Turning the heat right down in an empty house to save money.
When to ring for help
Call if a pipe has already frozen, if you cannot reach the problem area, or if the same line freezes every year. Rerouting a pipe away from a cold wall is sometimes the only permanent cure, and a frozen pipe thawing visit can include advice on that. Drains with heavy grease that freeze in exterior runs can also benefit from hydro jetting once the weather turns.
Planning a heater upgrade? Our comparison of tank and tankless heaters covers how each handles very cold incoming water. If you need help now, ring (365) 816-2905.