Preparing Pipes for a Burlington Winter

Why it matters

Water expands as it freezes. In a pipe, that expansion squeezes the water trapped behind the ice, and the pipe bursts, often somewhere other than where the ice formed. Nothing happens until it thaws; then water pours out. Burlington's lake-moderated climate lulls people into thinking winters are mild, yet cold snaps well below minus 20 with wind are common enough in January and February. North of the Escarpment, in places like Kilbride, it gets colder still.

A burst pipe in a finished basement can mean wet drywall, flooring and insulation, and days of drying. Prevention takes an afternoon.

Step by step

1. Shut and drain outdoor taps. Close the indoor valve that feeds each hose bib, then open the outdoor tap to let it drain. Unhook hoses; one left on holds water inside even a frost-proof sillcock.
2. Find exposed pipes. Look along exterior walls in the basement, in crawl spaces, garages and under kitchen sinks on outside walls. Wrap them with foam pipe insulation.
3. Seal drafts. Caulk or foam gaps where pipes and cables pass through the rim joist. Cold air leaking onto a pipe is the most common cause of a freeze.
4. Know your main shut-off. Test it now, while nothing is wrong. Our letter on finding your main shut-off valve explains where to look.
5. Keep heat on. Away from home? Keep the heat near 15°C or above and have someone look in.
6. Open cabinet doors on cold nights. Letting room air reach pipes under sinks on outside walls helps a great deal.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the hose attached to a frost-free tap
• Turning the heat far down while away for a week in January
• Using a torch or open flame to thaw a pipe, a common way house fires begin behind drywall
• Assuming a pipe is fine because it thawed without obvious leaking; check again with the water running
• Forgetting the garage, where laundry and utility sinks are often plumbed against cold walls

When to call a plumber

A mere trickle on a frigid morning suggests ice forming; phone us. Call right away if you see water spreading, hear running water with all taps closed, or find a bulging or split pipe. Shut the main valve first. We handle frozen pipe thawing and burst pipe repair, plus rerouting or insulating any line that ices up winter after winter.

Owners of seasonal homes and cottages should read closing a cottage or seasonal plumbing, since draining the whole system takes more steps.