Never Let Your Pipes Freeze Again

Are you worried every winter when the temperature gets super cold and that your pipes might burst and create an ice castle in your house? Well we have gathered some prevention information for indoor and outdoor pipe bursting. 

Tips on How to Prevent Outdoor Pipes from Freezing

Taking steps to prevent outdoor pipes from bursting in your facilities should be consistent for every store- especially stores that have outdoor garden centers and/or irrigation systems. There are many steps facility managers should take to ensure pipes don’t freeze during winter:

1. Shut off the main valve to any outdoor water supply

The first step in winterizing your outdoor pipes essentially entails shutting off the main valve that supplies water to a building. It’s extremely important to do this to prevent any new water from entering the pipes during cold weather.

2. Drain pipes

After the main valve to outdoor lines are shut off, the pipes connecting to that valve should be drained. Draining those pipes will get rid of most of the water, which prevents the water turning into ice inside your pipes. 

3. Blow the lines

As an extra measure, blowing out the lines will get rid of any residual water that was not removed by draining. Air compressors are typically used for this.

4. Use Antifreeze

Antifreeze is a great tool to use to ensure that outdoor pipes do not freeze during the winter. A water-free pipe with antifreeze has a greater chance of surviving winter without a leak or burst.

Tips on How to Prevent Indoor Pipes from Freezing

Winterizing pipes doesn’t just include outdoor pipes but includes indoor pipes as well. Although many indoor pipes are in sheltered spaces, pipes that go through unheated parts of a facility, such as a basement or storage area, are still prone to freezing- especially during extremely frigid weather, like we always get in Calgary. When temperatures drop below zero, we recommend everyone to follow these steps.

1. Keep sinks dripping/ in-use

An in-use sink can help prevent water from standing still in pipes. By keeping water constantly moving through the pipe, even if the stream is slow, the movement of water will help decrease the chance of the water turning into ice and freezing.

2. Periodically turn on the water.

For bathrooms that do not get used on a regular basis, it is important to keep water moving through the toilet lines or bathtubs to prevent those lines from freezing.

If you encounter a pipe burst or need help with these steps, you know who to call, ONECONTACT! We will gladly help you proof-ify your home for winter!