Guide: winter
Preventing Frozen Pipes in a North York Winter
A few hours of autumn work can prevent the most common winter plumbing disaster. Here is where pipes freeze in North York homes and how to protect them.
- Disconnect garden hoses and close the interior indoor valve feeding every hose bib.
- Open the outdoor tap to drain the line, then close it.
- Seal gaps where pipes pass through walls and the rim joist.
- Insulate exposed pipes in unheated spaces with foam sleeves.
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Where pipes freeze
Freezing happens wherever outside air gets at a pipe: exterior walls, unheated garages, crawl spaces, rim joists and under-insulated additions. In North York’s older bungalows and side-splits, kitchen sinks on outside walls, hose bib lines and bathrooms over garages are frequent trouble spots. Wind makes things worse by pushing cold air through gaps.
Autumn checklist
- Disconnect garden hoses and close the interior indoor valve feeding every hose bib.
- Open the outdoor tap to drain the line, then close it.
- Seal gaps where pipes pass through walls and the rim joist.
- Insulate exposed pipes in unheated spaces with foam sleeves.
- Check that garage doors close fully and weatherstripping is intact.
When the deep freeze arrives
- Hold the heat at one setting around the clock.
- Prop open sink cabinets that sit against outside walls.
- Let a thin stream run from a tap that has frozen before.
- If you are away, leave the furnace running and have a neighbour look in.
If a pipe freezes
Leave the tap open and warm it slowly using a hair dryer or warm wet towels. Never use an open flame. Know where your main valve is in case the pipe has split. Call if the ice plug cannot be located or flow does not come back. See frozen pipe thawing and burst pipe repair.