Canadian winters are long and cold in Ottawa and therefore can cause serious damage to pipes in homes, commercial properties, and buildings. Damage to pipes can leave you without water or worse pipes exploding causing costly damage. Prevention is the key so that’s why we want to share some valuable tips with you to prevent damage from pipes freezing.

1. It is important that you know where to find your water shut-off valve (in case your pipes burst);
2. Identify the pipes most likely to freeze and insulate them with foam Insulation;
3. Seal air leaks from your home, garage, commercial property, and building to prevent cold air from entering the building causing your pipes to freeze;
4. The exterior hose bibs on the outside of your house, commercial property and buildings are the first to freeze: unscrew the hoses, turn off the water supply inside the hose, open the valve outside and let the faucets drain; and,
5. Keep things warm. Open the cabinet doors of the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry so that hot air circulates through these spaces because those pipes usually get cold.

NOTE: Never use a flame as this creates a fire hazard. Open flame torches are the most common cause of domestic fires associated with defrosting pipes.

Remember, that emergencies can happen at any time! Tourangeau Mechanical provides 24/7 emergency services in the Ottawa region. Our on-call technician has the knowledge and experience to provide you with swift and efficient service when you most need it.dmange