Ahhhhhhh Canada. In our opinion, the best country in the world. We are the land of mountains and lakes, oceans and forests, stunning untouched natural beauty incredible wildlife… but boy, does it get cold here in the winter! A good, local Canadian plumber like John the plumber Peterborough know all about how to protect your plumbing and get it stable for winter in Canada.
Take Precautions During Warmer Months
Just a couple days of frigid -20 degrees can be brutal on your home or small business. Take every precaution you can during the warmer months to address and pipes that are badly insulated or that freeze easily, as this will save you a lot of pain and suffering in the winter. Pipes that run on the outside of your house, on exterior walls, can be very prone to freezing. Pipes in your home that lead outside can have water trapped in them. This water can freeze, causing the pipe to crack. As soon as it thaws, here comes the water!
Don’t Forget The Outdoor Tap
Always remove your garden hose and store it in the garage until spring (you won’t be needing it in -15 in Peterborough anyways!). Drain all the water out of your outdoor tap and shut it off inside your basement as well, just in case.
Please remember that if you are going away in the winter, you never want to let your house get too cold. Keep the warm air circulating so nothing freezes up, as the damage can be catastrophic. We have seen houses that had the heat shut off and a big freeze hit Peterborough. The damage to the homes plumbing system was in the thousands! Set your thermostat to 16 degrees and enjoy your sun drenched vacation!
Find Your Main Shut Off Valve
We always encourage every homeowner to know where their main water shut off valve is, should you ever need to shut it off. It is most likely in the basement, at the front of the house closest to the city street. Knowing where it is and how to quickly shut the water off save you a lot of trouble.
We at John the Plumber Peterborough are equipped with certain devices and a lot of knowledge should you have the unfortunate problem of frozen pipes. Electricity in a metal pipe can quickly thaw it and get water flowing again. Heat guns and heat tape can be very effective too. Sometimes just opening the faucet a little bit can be enough to get water flowing over a block of ice and thawing it out. Warming the pipe where the blockage is can get things going again…even your hair dryer can be used in a pinch!
