Hello Ward 8 Neighbours,
With winter quickly approaching, Hamilton Water is reminding residents – especially those who have had a frozen pipe in the past – on best practices to ensure that your water is running freely this winter.
For more details, please continue reading below…
By taking preventative measures before winter’s deep freeze, you can potentially save a lot of money and frustration.
The cost to restore a water service pipe that is frozen can run hundreds and even thousands of dollars and could take many days to restore. We generally take our water for granted until we can’t flush toilets, have a shower, do laundry or wash dishes. Routine activities like brushing teeth or simply having a glass of water is no longer as easy as turning on your tap.
Being proactive before the temperature drops is a convenient and affordable solution that can potentially help keep your water running all winter long.
To prepare for the coming winter, here are some tips to help prevent your water pipes from freezing:
- Seal air leaks in your home and garage.
- Install insulated pipe sleeves, UL listed heat tape or heat tracing cables on exposed pipes in unheated areas. These
areas include crawl spaces, cold cellars, basements, attics, storage rooms and garages. - Open kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.
- Do not let your furnace temperature drop too low when you are not home. By keeping interior doors open, the warm air from your furnace will keep pipes from freezing.
- Disconnect and drain all outdoor hoses.
- Shut off and drain all outdoor faucets.
- If you’re away for an extended time over the winter months, consider calling the City and paying the fee to have your water line turned off at the street during your extended absence.
- During the coldest nights of the winter, consider opening a water faucet to a small trickle to keep the water flowing through the pipes.
Building owners are responsible for the water service pipe from the property line to, and inside, their buildings. The City is responsible for the water service pipe from the property line to the watermain.
Should you experience frozen pipes this winter, please take the following steps:
- Call a licensed plumber to assess the situation or SLWC if you have a warranty plan.
- If the frozen pipe is the building owner’s responsibility, hire a qualified contractor to thaw the pipes.
- Make sure that any hired contractor uses CSA certified equipment and designed for thawing water pipes.
- If you attempt to thaw out the pipes yourself use hot water bottles, hot towels, hair dryers or small heaters. DO NOT USE AN OPEN FLAME TO THAW THE PIPE.
- If your plumber thaws out to the property line and is still unable to get the water running, please call 905-546-2489 and report the issue to the City
We hope that by implementing appropriate frozen pipe prevention methods for your home, the nuisance of frozen pipe prevention methods for your home, the nuisance of frozen pipes can be avoided. For more information on frozen water pipes, please visit: www.hamilton.ca/frozenpipes.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact our office here.