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How to prevent your pipes from freezing

Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter

How to prevent your pipes from freezing

When temperatures plummet below zero, the risk of frozen pipes increases. In fact, frozen pipes are one of

 the most common causes of home damage during cold weather months and can cause thousands of dollars in water damage! 

At Cascade Mechanical, we have created a list of a few tips to prevent your pipes from freezing this winter season. Keeping money in your pocket and your pipes running smoothly. 

 

Five Signs of Frozen Pipes:

Shortage Of Water

So, you’re wondering if your pipes are frozen? Well, the first, and one of the most common signs of a frozen pipe here in the Bow Valley is no water coming out of the faucet. This is caused due to ice build-up inside of the pipes, preventing unfrozen water from flowing.

Deformed or Bulging Pipes

As mentioned above, when a pipe freezes due to the cold weather, this means that the water sitting in your pipes has frozen. As a result, when you turn on your tap, water pressure begins to build up as the flowing water, behind the build-up has nowhere to escape. If the water pressure continuously builds up, this force will be greater than the strength of the metal pipe, causing it to deform or even burst – yikes. Remember, it is not the ice that causes the deformity or bust; it’s the build-up of water.

Talking Pipes

If you’re hearing voices, we recommend you either give your doctor a call or your trusted plumber here at Cascade Mechanical. The third most common sign that you have frozen pipes are gurgling pipes, otherwise commonly known as ‘talking pipes’. Why are your pipes making noises? Well, this noise is caused due to ice travelling in your pipes. 

Condensation

Are your pipes sweating? Although we would like to think that this is just a sign that the pipes are working hard to deliver water throughout your home, it’s an indicator that your pipes are in the process of freezing. This is caused due to the interior of the pipe being cooler than its exterior – creating unwanted water residue. 

Smelly Water

What is that smell? Jay, is that you? No, it’s not Jay, Operations Manager of Cascade Mechanical located in Canmore, Alberta – it’s your frozen pipes! That sewage smell that is emerging from your faucet is usually accompanied by a frozen exterior sewer line – if things couldn’t get any worse, right? Don’t worry. We share 5 tips below on how to prevent frozen pipes from happening! 

Now that we have learned the signs of freezing pipes, we can dive into a few ways you can prevent your pipes from freezing this winter season

 

Beat The Freeze With These 5 Tips:

  1. Ensure that your garage door is closed and secure – especially if there are water supply lines in the garage. 
  2. As odd as it may be, before you head to bed for the night, leave the cabinet under the sink open. We do this to allow warm air that is in the home to circulate to the pipes under the sink. 
  3. An old trick that works, but we wouldn’t recommend as a company here in the Bow Valley trying to make a green effort, is to leave the tap slowly dripping. This allows the water to flow continuously down the drain, preventing the water from remaining still and freezing. Are you looking to make a green effort? Check out our most recent blog, How To Save Money On Your Next Water Bill and make an impact on the environment. 
  4. Another great tip to ensure that your pipes will not freeze during the cold winter season in the Bow Valley is by leaving the thermostat set to the same temperature – both at night and during the day. 
  5. If you plan to fly south for the winter, make sure you leave your home’s temperature no lower than 55 Fahrenheit or 12.7 degrees Celcius to ensure your home will remain above freezing temperatures.

 

Were you unable to prevent your pipes from freezing? Looking to thaw frozen pipes? No worries, give the experts at Cascade Mechanical, located in Canmore, Alberta, a call today