We've had a wee little cold snap come through Calgary this week and it's a reminder of what's to come. We figured it's a good time as any to send a few tips about preventing frozen pipes this winter. Read on!
Let the water in your pipes continue to move to prevent it from freezing by opening the taps every so slightly. Even having it drip a little will ensure your pipes don’t stop and freeze-the problem with water becoming frozen in a pipe is, water expands as it freezes and that pressure will break the housing in which it is in. Burst pipes are a huge and expensive problem, much more expensive than a slightly higher water bill.
Do you know where the location for the main water shutoff in your house is? Things could change and go wrong very quickly in temperatures like these, it’d be a good idea to refresh yourself with where and how the shutoff works, in case you need to use it.
If you’re not using your fireplace and it’s still a wood-burning one, keep the flue closed
Make sure you have all your insurance information available and handy, just in case you have an issue and need to report something.
Keep your house warm at all times (which you will want to do anyway!), so to keep the inside walls from freezing as pipes are running through them.
In case you haven’t done so with the change of seasons, make sure the main water to the outside of your home is shut off.
Open cabinet doors where pipes to your bathrooms, laundry and kitchen are housed. This will allow warmer air to circulate around the pipes, and hopefully will contribute to keeping them warm.
It’s not a bad idea to head down to your local hardware store and get some insulation for your pipes, as well as a bib to cover your shutoff valves. It's a small investment to prevent a more costlier problem.
We’ve just begun this next shift of winter so be ahead and be in the know of how to take care of your house!
Mark