How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Pickering This Winter
By Pickering Plumbing Team · Published · Updated
Why pipes freeze in Pickering homes
Winters along the north shore of Lake Ontario swing between mild, damp spells and sharp cold snaps. It's usually those sudden drops, especially when they come with wind, that catch pipes off guard. Water that sits still in a pipe exposed to cold air can freeze, and because ice takes up more room than water, pressure builds inside the line until something gives.
The surprising part is that the split often isn't where the ice is. Pressure builds between the ice blockage and a closed tap, so a pipe can burst a short distance away from the frozen spot. You may not see any water at all until the ice melts and the leak suddenly starts running.
Every home is different, but the pipes most at risk tend to be the same ones:
- Pipes running along exterior walls, especially behind kitchen and bathroom sinks.
- Outdoor taps (hose bibs) and the short run of pipe just inside the wall.
- Lines in unheated spaces: garages, crawl spaces, cold rooms and attics.
- Pipes near basement windows, dryer vents or gaps in the foundation where cold air leaks in.
- Plumbing in rooms you rarely heat, like a closed-off basement bedroom or a cottage-style addition.
What to do before the first deep freeze
A little work in October or November saves a lot of trouble in January. Most of these jobs take an afternoon and need no special tools.
- Disconnect garden hoses. A hose left attached traps water in the tap, which can freeze and crack it from the inside.
- Shut off and drain outdoor taps. Many homes have an indoor shut-off valve for each outside tap. Close it, then open the outside tap to let the water drain. Leave the outside tap open over winter.
- Insulate exposed pipes. Foam pipe sleeves from any hardware store slip over pipes in garages, crawl spaces and unfinished basements. Pay special attention to pipes near outside walls.
- Seal drafts. Caulk or foam gaps around pipes where they pass through exterior walls, and check basement window frames and rim joists for cold spots.
- Find your main water shut-off. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is and that it turns. If it's stiff or corroded, have it replaced before you need it in an emergency.
If you have a pipe that has frozen before, it will likely freeze again in the same conditions. That's a good one to talk to a plumber about. Sometimes rerouting a short section away from an outside wall, or adding insulation behind the drywall, solves the problem for good. Our leak detection and pipe repair service handles exactly this kind of fix.
Habits that help during a cold snap
When the forecast calls for a hard freeze, a few small changes to your routine go a long way:
- Keep the heat on everywhere. Don't drop the thermostat too low overnight or while you're at work, and keep doors open to rooms with plumbing.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm room air can reach the pipes.
- Let a vulnerable tap drip. A slow trickle of water keeps it moving and relieves pressure if ice starts to form. It uses some water, but far less than a burst pipe.
- Keep the garage door closed if there are water lines in the garage.
- Don't rely on a space heater left unattended near pipes. If you use one, follow the manufacturer's safety instructions and keep it clear of anything that can burn.
If you're going away for a winter holiday, leave the heat on at a safe temperature and ask someone to check the house. For longer trips, many homeowners shut off the main water valve and open a few taps to drain the lines. If you're not sure how to do that safely in your home, ask us.
Signs a pipe is already frozen
The most common sign is simple: you turn on a tap and get only a trickle, or nothing at all, while other taps in the house work normally. Other clues include frost on an exposed pipe, a bulge in the pipe, or a strange smell from a drain because water isn't flowing through the trap.
If only one fixture is affected, the frozen section is usually somewhere between that fixture and the point where its line branches off. If no taps work anywhere in the house, the problem may be closer to where the water line enters the home, and that needs attention quickly.
How to thaw a frozen pipe safely
If you can reach the frozen pipe and it isn't cracked or leaking, you can often thaw it yourself:
- Open the tap the pipe feeds so melting water has somewhere to go.
- Apply gentle heat, starting at the tap end and working back toward the frozen area. A hair dryer, a heating pad or towels soaked in hot water all work.
- Keep going until full water pressure returns, then check the whole length of the pipe for drips.
Never use a torch, propane heater, or any open flame. It can damage the pipe, start a fire behind a wall, or turn the ice to steam fast enough to burst the line. If the frozen section is inside a wall or ceiling, or you can't find it, leave it to a plumber.
If a pipe bursts
Shut off the main water valve right away, then turn off the water heater. If water is near outlets, the electrical panel or appliances, stay out of that area. Open the lowest tap in the house to drain the remaining water out of the lines, move belongings out of the way, and start soaking up what you can.
Then call a plumber. A burst pipe is a true emergency, and the longer water runs, the more damage it does to drywall, flooring and insulation. Our emergency plumbing line is answered 24/7, and our guide on what to do in a plumbing emergency walks through the first ten minutes step by step.
Take photos of the damage before you clean up too much. If you plan to make an insurance claim, your insurer will want to see them, and they'll have their own process to follow.
Older and newer homes face different risks
Older homes near the lake, in neighbourhoods like Bay Ridges, sometimes have less insulation in exterior walls and crawl spaces, or plumbing that was added during renovations without much thought for winter. Newer homes are usually better insulated, but pipes running to kitchen islands, garages or bonus rooms can still be vulnerable, and builder-installed outdoor taps aren't always frost-free.
Either way, the steps are the same: know your shut-off, protect the obvious weak spots, and pay attention when the forecast turns bitterly cold. If you'd like a second opinion on a problem pipe before winter, we're happy to take a look.
