When winter rolls around in Edmonton, you want to be as prepared as possible. While the temperatures drop, you want to ensure that your family and your home are protected against the elements, but most importantly, you will want to ensure that your plumbing is winter-ready to avoid sudden pipe freezes and other issues.
Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Edmonton has put together the best list of Edmonton winter plumbing tips, which are designed to give you an inside look at all the issues you can face with your plumbing in the winter. This list can help you avoid needing plumbing services and know what to do when you are facing an emergency situation. If you're ready to learn how to keep your home protected during the freezing temperatures, then keep reading below!
Outdoor Edmonton Winter Plumbing Tips
One of the first steps that you will want to take is to ensure that the outside of your home's plumbing system is properly cared for. Below you will find some of our best Edmonton winter plumbing tips to make the outside of your home ready:
Disconnect Hoses
Before the weather really changes in Edmonton, you will want to take some time to remove and drain any outdoor hoses to prevent freezing not only in the hoses themselves, but also in the tap. If you can, it's also advised that you turn off the water to the outdoor taps so that you can avoid ice buildup.
Clear Snow Away from Plumbing Vents
What you may not know is that your plumbing system is very dependent on exterior vents as a way to regulate pressure and remove sewer gases from your home safely. During times of extreme snowfall or cold, these vents can become blocked with snow and ice, which leads to larger issues such as slow drains, gas backups, and gurgling toilets. The areas of your home you will want to check to keep your plumbing in good condition are:
- The roof
- Wall vents
The wall vents are for the combustion air / exhaust from high efficiency water heaters and furnaces and must also be kept clear.
Indoor Edmonton Winter Plumbing Tips
Water damage is the main concern with homeowners who are thinking about winterizing their home to prevent such issues. Preparing your home for the winter and doing general plumbing maintenance can help prevent damage in your home. We encourage Edmonton residents to use our indoor Edmonton winter plumbing tips to prepare their home for the drop in temperatures and when the snow finally starts to fall.
Consistent Indoor Temperatures
While this might seem like a no-brainer for most people, because once the weather drops below +10, the heat usually comes on, but this isn't always the case. If you are a frequent lover of the warmer weather and often find yourself escaping to Mexico or popular snowbird destinations, then you will want to ensure that you keep your home warm, even when you're gone.
Homes that maintain a consistent temperature indoors can prevent frozen pipes inside their home and maintain a proper water supply that is free of obstructions such as ice or leaks.
Insulate Exposed Pipes
Insulation is key to avoiding frozen pipes that can lead to sudden pipe bursts when the heat is off or turned down low during the winter months. The exposed pipes we’re referring to are typically located in colder areas of your home such as basement ceilings, and cabinets along outside walls. If you suspect that an exposed pipe may be vulnerable to freezing, you will want to focus your attention on where the pipe is most exposed. For a quick solution yourself, you can use heat tape or foam pipe insulation sleeves.
Water Heater Services
The last thing you want to do is lose your hot water during the winter months, and you can prevent this by ensuring you stay up-to-date on your water heater maintenance. A few things you can do to ensure you get continual hot water flow coming out of your faucets are as follows:
- Have a professional plumber flush the sediment buildup from your water heater.
- Be sure that your water heater temperature is set to at least 49 degrees Celsius.
- Stay current on any plumbing repairs for your water heater.
Our plumbers will be glad to ensure your plumbing is working, especially when it comes to your water heater, and walk you through ways to prevent issues with your hot water.
How to Be Prepared for Emergencies
Problems can happen, and even if we do our very best at staying ahead of the game, we can't always prevent pipes from freezing. Burst pipes can happen, fixtures can freeze, and water pressure might drop. When those situations happen, you will want to know what to do during a plumbing emergency.
If you are having issues where your home has a leak or flooding can occur because of a sudden burst, the first thing you should do is turn your main water valve off and stop the flow of water. This can keep your Edmonton home from having extensive water damage and buy you enough time to call a plumber and keep the water as isolated as possible.
For frozen pipes, keep the pipes warm and unthaw them with a space heater directed to the area that you believe to be frozen. You can also use a blow dryer or heating gun to break up any ice that is clogging and impacting your pipes.
The last thing to do during an emergency situation is to have our number saved and ready to call when you need help right away from a dedicated expert.
Rely On Our Experienced Team to Keep Your Plumbing Functional Through the Winter
The winter weather is something you can't avoid, no matter how hard you try to make it disappear. Whether you have an annoying drip coming from your faucets or you're trying to get your home winter-ready, Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Edmonton is here to help you. Our experts are just one call away when you want to take the pressure off, ensuring that your home's plumbing system will last through the winter without any major problems.
