Order summary
- Shut each hose bib from its basement valve and let it empty before November cold arrives.
- Keep heat on in every part of the house, including when you travel.
- Open cabinet doors on outside walls during deep cold.
- Know where the main shut-off is before anything freezes.
Numbered steps
- Outdoor faucets. Close the interior shut-off for every hose bib, then crack open the outside tap so it empties, and take off the hose. Leave the tap open over winter.
- Find the vulnerable runs. Walk the basement and look for pipes along exterior walls, in rim joist spaces, near dryer vents and in unheated rooms like cold cellars and garages.
- Insulate. Foam pipe sleeves on exposed runs are cheap and easy. Seal drafts around vents, sill plates and wall penetrations where cold air blows directly on pipe.
- Kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Sinks on outside walls are the classic freeze point. On the coldest nights, open the doors so room heat reaches the pipes.
- A slow trickle. In a severe cold snap, letting a vulnerable tap run at a thin, steady stream keeps water moving and relieves pressure.
- Travel. Keep the thermostat at a moderate setting, never off. For longer trips, shut off the main and open the lowest tap so the lines empty, or have someone check the house daily.
Plumber's tip: If a tap gives a dribble or nothing on a cold morning, the pipe feeding it may be frozen. Shut off the main before thawing so a hidden split cannot flood the house when the ice melts. Then call (365) 517-5705.
Errors we see on site
- Using an open flame or torch to thaw a pipe. It starts fires inside walls.
- Keeping a hose screwed onto a frost-free bib. It traps water in the stem.
- Dropping the thermostat far down in an empty house or a closed-up cottage-style room.
- Trusting a pipe just because it thawed out. Splits often show up only once pressure returns.
- Forgetting the garage. Pipes running through it to a kitchen or upper floor are exposed.
Safe thawing, if you must
Open the tap the pipe feeds. Work a hair dryer slowly along the pipe, beginning at the tap end and moving back. Keep electrical appliances away from standing water. Stop if you see a bulge or crack and call a plumber.
When the desk should come out
Phone us if the frozen spot is hidden or out of reach, when a pipe has visibly split, when a ceiling is dripping or wall, or when the same elbow ices up every January. Repeat freezes usually mean a pipe needs rerouting or proper insulation. Clearing related drain problems is covered under bathroom drain unclogging, and basement flooding protection is discussed on the Toronto basement flooding subsidy page.
For a full list of what we handle, see our specialties index.
Quick checklist
- Close the inside valve to each hose bib in fall
- Insulate supply lines on exterior walls
- Open cabinet doors on bitter nights
Your questions on this one
How cold does it have to be for pipes to freeze?
There is no single number. Exposed pipe in a draft can freeze in a cold snap of a few nights, while well-insulated interior pipe rarely does. Wind and duration matter as much as temperature.
Should I leave taps dripping every winter night?
Just on the bitterest nights, and just for taps on known vulnerable runs. Insulating and sealing drafts is the lasting fix.