Published 1 year ago
Winterize Your Pipes
Maintain your water pipes to avoid costly repairs
When the cold weather arrives, water freezes and can cause your water pipes to burst.
Here are some guidelines to avoid frozen pipes:
  1. In the fall, before the first frost, find your water shut-off valve for the outside taps and turn it off. The water shut-off valve is inside, close to where your outside taps come into your home.
  2. After you’ve closed your outside shut-off valve, unscrew your garden hoses. Open your outside taps to drain them.
  3. Look for places where your inside pipes could freeze, such as:
  • Your basement.
  • A crawlspace.
  • Near an outside wall or window.
  • Places near a cracked foundation.
  • Pipes in the lowest part of your home, near your water meter. Meters are typically next to the main water shut-off valve or tap to a home.Seal these areas to keep the cold out and the heat in. Protect the pipes on your water meter by attaching a low-wattage wrap heater, heat tape, heat cables controlled by a thermostat or foam pipe insulation.
Be sure to use these products only as directed. Also check to see it has safety certification such as the Canadian Standards Association or Underwriters Laboratories Inc.

Learn more on how to prevent frozen pipes.