by Ben Wanner of Pro Service Mechanical
Cold weather can cause a lot of issues for homeowners and their plumbing system. A frozen water line can lead to very expensive repairs and significant damage in your home. This can lead to major inconvenience, mould growth and higher home insurance premiums. Of course we would like to avoid any issues due to frozen water pipes. Let’s go thru a few things you need to be aware of to help prevent frozen plumbing pipe issues.
Know Your Plumbing System and Have It Checked
You may have just purchased your home recently or you may have recently moved into a new home. If you have not familiarized yourself with the plumbing system yet then you need to. This helps you be prepared for a big problem and will help you avoid further damage in the event of an emergency. Here is a quick checklist for the prevention of a potential disaster.
- Identify where all the plumbing pipes are located (if you can see them)
- Locate the main water shut off in your home
- Locate and ensure there are isolating shut off valves to all of the fixtures.
- Have a Pro check your plumbing system to ensure there will not be any obvious issues with freezing etc
- Locate your exterior hose bibs and note if they have shut off valves or if they are frost free style hose bibs. If there is no shut off and you are not sure have the plumber check this as well.
The Most Common Areas For Frozen Plumbing Pipes
We are looking for areas where water lines may be susceptible to freezing. Areas that are unheated, have poor heating, excessive air leakage from outside or where water lines are in exterior walls are all potential problem areas. Common areas to check include
- exterior hose bibs
- water sprinkler lines
- pipes in exterior walls
- pipes under sinks in exterior walls
- garages
- water service entrance lines in slab on grade homes
- crawlspaces
- attics
- any unheated area of the house
Prepare For Winter
Ensure to prepare all exterior water usage for winter by doing the following.
- Ensure exterior hose bibs have isolating vales closed and are drained. (if these are frost free type ensure they are shut off at the tap and drained)
- Ensure water sprinkler irrigation lines have been shut off and drained for the winter. These will also need to be blown out with compressed air. If the manifold and valves are outside they will have to be taken apart and brought inside.
- Special care needs to be taken for all pool equipment. (consult a specialist)
My Pipes Still Froze!
If this happens I suggest calling the Pros at Pro Service to have your plumbing system serviced immediately. We have 24/7 365 Emergency Service. You can call us for any plumbing, or heating emergency at 306-230-2442. In the meantime while we are quickly making our way over, avoid using any kind of blowtorch or open flame on the frozen piping. If you can isolate the pipe and shut off that water then do it to avoid further damage. If it is a minor freeze up and you can keep the water running slowly then do so and use a hair dryer or space heater to keep it from freezing further.
We Can Solve Any Plumbing Issue
If you are having problems with your plumbing system Pro Service can resolve all your issues quickly and properly the first time. Feel free to contact us now at 306-230-2442.
