Providing Plumbing Solutions Since 1986

Frozen Plumbing

A frozen pipe.
It’s that time of year. There’s nothing like a big freeze-up, sustained over a few days, to cause problems with your plumbing.

Add wind chill to freezing temperatures and your water lines and drains may freeze. Wind chill is one of the biggest culprits for freezing pipes.

The most vulnerable are water lines and drain pipes that are located on an exterior wall, or in a crawl space and are poorly insulated. Once the snow builds up on the outside of the house, it will help to insulate the plumbing. Anything above the snow line is still vulnerable to freezing because of wind chill.

If the plumbing in the bathroom or kitchen is located on an exterior wall, it’s a good idea to keep the cupboard doors open a bit so that the heat from the rest of the room can reach the pipes.

Plumbing that has been added to outbuildings such as a shed or shop may also be vulnerable to freezing. If the lines are buried under, or run through a driveway from the street, well, lake, or other water source going to the house, there is an increased risk of freezing.

Driveways are cleared of snow during the winter months which offers no protective insulation. In addition, vehicles driving over it, and people walking on it, will drive the cold below the frost line. It’s a good idea to erect some sort of barrier preventing ATVs, snowmobiles, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, walking, or other winter activities from taking place over your water and drain pipes.

If you are on a septic system that is located uphill of your residence or cottage and have a small chamber used to pump wastewater up to it, it needs to be protected from freezing too. Prevent people from walking on it by placing an upside-down wheelbarrow over it, or a piece of garden art that’s tall enough to be seen above the snow.

One of the newer and increasingly popular residential trends is to add a garden suite on the property behind the house. The plumbing from the house feeds the garden suite. The same is true of houses that supply plumbing to a garage.

When building, be mindful of how deep you place the plumbing. As the frost line is four feet below the surface, plumbing pipes need to be placed five or six feet below and include insulation. One inch of blue styrofoam is equal to one foot of dirt. If you are unable to dig to five or six feet, the insulation can be layered but it still has to be four feet below the surface to prevent freezing. Otherwise, a heated trace cable will need to be added to prevent the pipe from freezing.

Should the worst happen and your plumbing freezes, do not use a flame to thaw it. Plastic pipes will melt and even copper pipes aren’t safe because of the risk of setting your house or cottage on fire.

Using hot water to thaw outside plumbing won’t work either. Hot water will freeze quicker than cold. A hairdryer may be worth a try. Or a heat gun but keep it a safe distance away from pipes especially if they are plastic.

For a safer and more effective way call Plumbtech Plumbing because they have a thawing machine specially for frozen pipes.

How will you know if your pipes are frozen? No water, or limited water will come out of the taps if the line is frozen. It needs to be thawed or it will keep freezing and could potentially burst.

If your drain is frozen, listen for the sound of a drip which means the water can’t get past an obstruction from accumulated food debris, grease, etc. If the water can’t drain, it will back up until it overflows the fixture.

If you are leaving town for a vacation, or to visit with family and friends, make sure your plumbing has access to heat. And, turn your water off.

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