If you’ve experienced Toronto’s winters, you must have noticed that keeping yourself warm is not the only thing that matters here. It’s also important to take your time protecting your plumbing system.
Your home’s pipes should be checked to be in good condition, or you will face unimaginable troubles when temperatures drop. The wisest course of action would be to ask a professional team to provide you with regular service.
This way, you can be sure about your family’s comfort in the wild winters of Toronto. Of course, even if after all these precautions any emergency problems happen, there are some well-known plumbing companies like R & Z plumbing that will help you soon.
In spite of the great emergency services they offer, still, it would be better to check your plumbing service before any issue. Also, apart from regular service by a plumber near you, you can also take some measures to avoid emergencies in the winter.
No worries, we are going to summarize some important tips you need to consider before and during cold seasons to avoid any plumbing troubles in Toronto’s winters.
Fix small leaks before winter
Leaks sit at the top of the plumbing issues list. In winter, this problem will cause even more detrimental problems. Try to fix these problems before the temperatures drop. Bear in mind that fixing plumbing problems in cold weather is far more difficult.
Do not leave hoses connected
Try to avoid leaving hoses attached to your faucets in winter. In cold weather, the water inside them will freeze, and ice can put pressure on your pipes, getting them to crack. Separate all hoses from your faucets, drain them and keep them somewhere until you need them.
Open water regularly
One of the most common problems in winter is frozen pipes. Usually, pipes that are not used frequently are subject to this issue. Try to open the rarely-used faucets in order to run water from them. By this method, you can protect your plumbing system and prevent your pipes from freezing.
Insulate outdoor pipes
Many times opening the valves is not enough to protect your pipes. You can use insulating tape to guard your pipes against freezing. Insulating can save you heating energy in the cold winters of Toronto as well.
Insulate your unconditioned spaces
Another way that the cold weather can reach your plumbing system is from the windows and doors of your open spaces. Usually, people do not take care of these spaces, despite the detrimental impact they can have.
Basement windows and garage doors can let the cold weather in Toronto come inside and touch your pipes. In addition to pipe insulation, you might need to think about sealing the openings of such spaces.
Think about heat cables
If you think of a more technological solution, using heat cables is a perfect choice. Heat cables are also known as heat trace cables or heat tapes for pipes. They have a wide range of applications such as pipe heat tracing, freeze protection, viscosity control, roof and gutter, temperature process maintenance, and so on.
They actually have an integral thermostat that senses the temperature of your pipes with the ability to turn the heat source on and off. This would significantly reduce the danger of freezing.
Shut off the water when leaving town
If you have a plan for a trip out of town, make sure to shut off the main valve. So, if your pipes were frozen, the damage would be less expensive.
Keep your cabinets open
It might seem simple, but opening the cabinets below your sinks in your kitchen can work a miracle. By keeping cabinets open, the warm indoor air of your home will flow into these spaces touching the pipes. This can have a significant effect on preventing the pipes from freezing during the cold season.
Conclusion
Although many people might consider plumbing to be a trivial matter, it can cause severe plumbing problems for you, especially in cold seasons. In the above sentences, we tried to provide you with simple tips that can have significant results.
However, there are some other techniques that can thoroughly change the plumbing systems design and maintenance procedure. Using Building Information Modeling during plumbing design can reduce plumbing issues and ease maintenance procedures. Also, some modern technologies like augmented reality (AR) are becoming applicable in this industry. Certainly, you should take care of your plumbing system until that moment!
