How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Winter

Why it matters

Ice takes up more room than the water it came from, and when that happens inside a pipe the pressure has nowhere to go. A split may be a hairline crack or a gaping tear, and it usually reveals itself only once the ice thaws and water starts to flow. A burst on an upper floor can soak ceilings, insulation and furniture in short order.

Richmond Hill winters regularly bring stretches well below freezing, and cold wind finds every gap in an exterior wall. The pipes most at risk are in outside walls, unheated garages, crawlspaces, over cantilevered rooms and near basement rim joists.

Step by step

1. Shut off outdoor taps. Shut each hose bib's indoor valve, let the outdoor spout empty, then unhook any garden hose.
2. Insulate exposed pipes. Slip cheap split-foam insulation over the runs that pass through basements, garages and crawlspaces.
3. Seal drafts. Fill the cracks around pipe penetrations in outside walls and at the rim joist with caulk or spray foam.
4. Keep heat steady. Avoid setting the thermostat very low overnight or when away.
5. Open cabinet doors. When the forecast dips into the minus twenties, prop open vanity and kitchen cabinets that sit against exterior walls to let room heat in.
6. Let a tap drip. During severe cold, a pencil-thin stream at an at-risk tap keeps water moving.
7. Know your main shut-off. Find it, label it and make sure it turns.

Warning signs

• A faucet that sputters or stays dry after a frigid night
• Frost visible on an exposed pipe
• Toilets that refill slowly or not at all
• Odd smells from drains, as frozen lines can block venting
• Bulging or cracked pipe sections

If a pipe does freeze

Open the tap the frozen line feeds so melting water can escape and pressure is relieved. Begin warming at the faucet end and move slowly back along the line toward the blockage. Keep checking for drips or spray as it thaws, and be ready to close the main valve. If water does not return within a reasonable time, or the frozen section is inside a wall, call for help rather than cutting into drywall yourself.

After a freeze, take note of where it happened. Pipes that freeze once are likely to freeze again unless something changes.

When to call a plumber

If you suspect a frozen pipe and cannot find or safely reach it, call. The same goes for any sign of water leaking from a pipe that has just thawed. Our emergency plumbing service handles urgent calls, and where frost keeps recurring in one wall, repiping or rerouting that line is the lasting answer.

Long before any freeze-up, learn where your main shut-off sits; that one valve, closed fast, spares drywall and flooring. We serve homes across Richmond Hill, including Elgin East.