How do I keep my pipes from freezing in winter?
Insulate pipes that run along an exterior wall, a garage or a crawl space, keep the house at a minimum of 13 °C even while you are away, shut off and drain outdoor faucets in the fall, and let a thin trickle of water run during extreme cold. These four steps prevent the vast majority of freeze-ups.
Which pipes freeze first?
Freezing almost always happens in the same places: wherever a water line crosses an unheated or poorly insulated space. In Outaouais homes, the same suspects come up year after year.
- Pipes in a crawl space or attic
- Pipes running along a poorly insulated exterior wall
- Plumbing in an unheated garage
- Outdoor faucets and their supply lines
- Pipes in a cottage or an unoccupied dwelling
What should I do before the deep cold arrives?
Most of the work happens in the fall, before the first cold snap. Close the indoor valve that feeds each outdoor faucet, then open the faucet outside to drain the line. Remove garden hoses: a hose left connected traps water and splits the faucet.
Then insulate accessible pipes in cold spaces with foam sleeves, and seal cold-air gaps around pipe penetrations in the foundation. A pipe that freezes every winter near the service entry can justify a main water line replacement.
What should I do during an extreme cold snap?
When the temperature drops below -25 °C, let a trickle of cold water run at the faucet farthest from the water service entry. Moving water freezes far less easily, and the flow releases the pressure that would burst the pipe.
Also open the cabinet doors under sinks located against an exterior wall so warm air can circulate around the plumbing.
What if I travel during the winter?
Never shut the heat off completely: keep it at 13 °C at minimum. Ideally, close the main water supply and open a few faucets to release the pressure in the system, which limits the damage if a pipe does give way.
Ask someone to check the house every two or three days. A furnace failure during a week-long absence often causes major damage.
My pipe is already frozen - what should I do?
First close the main water supply: leaks appear during the thaw, if the pipe has cracked. Then open the faucet fed by the frozen line so the water can flow as it melts.
Warm the frozen section slowly with a hair dryer or a hot towel, starting at the faucet and working back. Never use an open flame: it is a common cause of fire and the thermal shock can burst the pipe. If you cannot find the frozen section or the water does not come back, call a plumber. We answer calls like these in Aylmer and across the Outaouais.
See our service: Our plumbing services