One of the most significant threats to your home in winter is the possibility of water frozen in the plumbing system. When water freezes it expands up to four percent, enough to cause pipes to crack. This can easily lead to flooding and rampant water damage when heat is restored.

To prevent ice inside your pipes:

  • Open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warmer air to flow around pipes.
  • Hang a towel on the wall behind the sink.
  • Wrap pipes in insulation, or layers of old newspapers wrapped in plastic.
  • Turn the faucet at the lowest point in the house on to a slow, constant drip. This is especially important as outside temperatures dip into the 20s and below.
  • Close off any rooms that don't contain pipes to minimize heat loss.
  • Turn off the water to outdoor faucets and drain the pipes.

If outside temperatures are below freezing and you find a faucet with little or no water pressure, you may have an ice clog. If you suspect an ice block in a particular faucet:

  • Turn on the faucet nearest to the pipe with the suspected ice block.
  • Follow the pipe to the location where it meets an outside wall.
  • Locate the section of pipe exposed to cold air.
  • If you still have power, use an electric hair dryer to melt the ice. Move it back and forth roughly one foot above where you suspect the ice clog.
  • Contact a professional plumber to inspect pipes and assist with any needed repair.

If you heat loss in your home forces you to temporarily evacuate, take the following precautions to prevent ice within pipes while you are away:

  • Turn off the primary water main where it enters the house. Protect the valve, inlet pipe and mete or pump with blankets or insulation material.
  • Drain the water from your plumbing system. Start at the top of the house and work your way down, opening all taps and flushing toilets as you move. To drain your hot water tank, attach a hose to the tank drain/outlet valve and run this to the nearest basement floor drain. - Note that with gas-fired water tanks, the pilot light should be extinguished prior to draining.
  • Un-hook the hoses on your washing machine and drain.
  • Add a small amount of anti-freeze to water left in the toilet bowl and to sink and bathtub drains.