Winter plumbing emergency checklist
Winter in Toronto is the worst possible time for a plumbing emergency. The weather is already too cold, wet or snowy to want to deal with any other stressful situations.
That’s why it best to get prepared before the weather gets too cold! And the best way to do that is with our handy plumbing emergency checklist. Learn tips and tricks to satisfy your inner scout and avoid any unpleasant winter stress.
Locate and test your water shut off valve – Negative 30 is not the time to realize you can’t turn your water off. A leak could turn your home into an ice cave if you’re in vacation mode and not paying attention. It is also harder for the City to shut it down from the street level. A simple test will easy your mind, turn the valve and listen to see if the pressure goes down. If it doesn’t turn or you can still hear water, get it fixed by a professional right away.
Smells and gurling are only cute for babies – If you notice a bad smell or your basement drains are making a gurgling noise, this is the first indication that your main drain is in trouble. Get a camera inspection right away. Ignoring these signs is a great way to get a basement back up and an expensive cleaning bill. Avoid it by getting a look inside the drain to see what is really going on.
If your basement is too cold for you, it’s too cold for your plumbing – make sure all drafty areas are insulated to prevent your water lines from freezing. Using old ugly sweaters to cover pipes is one way but proper insulation is also inexpensive. We suggest the real insulation.
Clogged sinks do not magically get better – if your sink is already draining slowly chances are it will completely back up in a short amount of time. Slow draining is a good indicator that you have a restriction and the drain needs to be unclogged.
Keep your eyes open unless you are looking at the sun– Most people do not take enough time to stop and simply look for leaks. Important spaces to check are: around toilets, under sinks, around your laundry machine and especially around your water heater. Winter is a terrible time to realize your water heater is on its way out and needs replacing. There is nothing more comforting than being able to wash your hands with warm water after shoveling your driveway for hours.
Leave the winter plumbing emergency fun to the pro’s and get prepared before you need us! But don’t worry we are here even if you do.
