Emergency Plumbing Markham 647-808-4088

GTA winters are notoriously harsh, long, cold and damaging to our homes and its infrastructure. Frozen pipes are serious business and can lead to expensive repairs and costly damage. When the water in our pipes freeze, it expands causing thousands of pounds per square inch of pressure and a pipe can easily burst. Emergency Plumbing Markham recommends the following actions to prevent burst pipes from causing further damage and protecting your property from frozen pipes.

Know where your main water shut-off valve is and how to use it. This can help save your plumbing and your property from further damage in the case of an emergency plumbing situation. Protect your pipes by insulating them especially pipes near outside wall and in crawl spaces that might be removed from the heating in the house. Attics and garages especially. Keep garage doors closed when possible and cabinets and doors open to allow warm air to circulate around plumbing.

Most local hardware stores offer insulating foam or materials that can cover pipes. The ideal temperature to keep your pipes at is 8C. Electrical tape is commonly wrapped around pipes.

Check for cold air leaks in and around your house or business. Sneaky cold drafts can freeze a pipe quickly.

Outdoor plumbing and faucets are the most vulnerable to freezing.

Precautions to take against frozen pipes

Going on vacation? There are a few preventative measures you can take to protect your plumbing and prevent your pipes from freezing.

1. Shut off the main water valve to the house and drain all the taps by running the water until empty.
2. You should set your house temperature to 15c while you’re gone.

So, you went on vacation and you came back to frozen pipes?

1. Do not use any open flame or torches to thaw the pipes.
2. Ensure the master water valve is shut-off in case there’s a break.
3. Pick a low-point in the home to first turn on the cold water, perhaps the laundry or a sink in the basement.
4. You can heat the frozen pipe directly with gentle heating or a heating pad.
5. Once the frozen pipe is thawed slowly turn back on the master water valve while checking for cracked pipes or leaks.

While some of these DIY tips might be helpful, it’s always best to contact a professional and qualified plumber to ensure that the least damage is done to your pipes and that the plumbing problem is resolve quickly and efficiently. Emergency Plumbing Markham is your best bet to resolve your frozen pipe situation. We can locate the frozen obstruction and implement changes to protect your plumbing and prevent future plumbing mishaps such as frozen pipes.