How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Winter for Canadian Homes

We Canadians face one of the harshest (and most exciting?) winters on the planet. Whether out in British Columbia or over here in Southern Ontario, the prospect of plummeting negative temperatures and piles of snow is daunting for many homeowners who are trying to protect their investments from damage. The cold is particularly troublesome to pipes, which are prone to freezing and cracking, causing costly repairs no homeowner wants.

Here at Caldwell Plumbing, we’re gearing up for winter 2024/2025 and doing what we can to support homeowners. Preparing your plumbing system for the cold is much easier than dealing with frozen pipes. In this post, we’ll share several quick and easy tips that can make a big difference in protecting your home over the winter season. 

Insulation Helps Prevent Freezing Pipes

The first step to keep your home’s pipes safe from freezing is to keep them insulated. Just like how we keep our homes and our bodies warm from the cold, adding layers of material to your pipes will create a protective barrier that shields them from cold air inside and outside.

Insulating your pipes is usually an easy and affordable process to avoid a plumbing emergency in your home. Simply purchase pipe insulators from your nearest hardware store and place them around your pipes. Most pipe insulators are made from foam and are very affordable. When placing the insulators, make sure you cover as much of the pipe as possible, including the corners.

If you live in a colder area or have pipes that are easily exposed to the outdoors, it’s a good idea to buy stronger pipe insulators made from materials such as rubber. Electric heating tape can also be wrapped around pipes and used to keep pipes from freezing, just like how electric blankets heat up beds, as they act as a heat source. 

Keep Your Home Heated and Your Pipes Flowing

If you’re leaving home for a quick break over the winter, remember not to turn the heating off. Your home contains a lot of heat, especially when compared to the weather outside. When you leave home and switch the heating off, a lot of this heat disappears, and your pipes are suddenly exposed to the cold air.

Though heating can be expensive across Ontario, the costs of repairing frozen and broken pipes are likely much higher. Using a smart meter or a timer can help regulate your home’s internal temperature while you are away without racking up high energy bills.

The Advantages of Using a Heat Pump

Heat pumps are a smart choice for heating your home because they work differently than regular heaters. Instead of creating heat themselves, heat pumps move heat from the outside air or ground into your home, even when it’s chilly outside. This process uses less energy, which can lower your heating bills.

In areas with colder winters, like Southern Ontario, heat pumps are still useful. They can keep your home warm during milder winter days, and when it gets really cold, your regular furnace can take over. This combination means you stay warm all winter without using too much energy. Whether you’re interested in a heat pump in North Vancouver or Pickering, these systems offer great ways to reduce the risk of your pipes freezing while limiting your home’s environmental footprint.

Let Your Faucet or Tap Drip to Avoid Damaging Your Pipes

Despite being viewed as a myth by some people, letting your tap run very slowly overnight during periods of extreme cold does actually help to prevent your pipes from freezing up.

Although you might assume this works because you’re constantly running warmer water, it’s actually a matter of the pressure passing through your pipes. Water that is allowed to sit is much more likely to freeze faster, causing pressure to build up in the gaps, which can make your pipes split or break apart. It’s also why cottages are more prone to damaged pipes because they are unlikely to be used on a daily basis like homes are.

Make sure that the water flow is visible but very weak; otherwise, you might be wasting water unnecessarily and could even accidentally cause a small flood.

Get Help from a Plumber to Fix Frozen or Burst Pipes

Sometimes, your home’s pipework can be just too complex to handle on your own. You might not be sure how to apply insulation or may find some pipes already damaged. Whatever your concern, contacting one of our expert plumbers is an easy way to get the job done right.

At Caldwell Plumbing, we’ve been helping Ontario homeowners with their frozen pipes for over forty years. If you are looking for a plumber in Durham Region you can rely on this winter, whether you need repair or preventative maintenance, contact Caldwell today!