Frozen Pipe Plumbing Repairs in London

We live in Canada, and for the most part it’s a pretty nice place to live.

But of course, while hockey is considered our national pastime, the next most popular thing Canadians love to do is complain about the weather.

We’re pretty good at making the best of the cold, but it’s still cold!

One of the issues around living in a country where winter is a thing is dealing with frozen pipes, and plumbing in London is no exception to this.

Water damage is one of the most common reasons why homeowners need to make insurance claims, and one of the most common reasons for that is frozen pipes.

Here at London Plumbing Solutions, one of the many plumbing repair solutions we offer is frozen pipe repair services.

While on its own, a frozen pipe is just an inconvenience, if left unchecked, it can lead to burst pipes, which can flood your basement, potentially costing you thousands of dollars in burst and leaky pipe repair plumbing services.

And that’s not even counting the 24 hour emergency plumbing repair hotline you’ll have to call when your pipes burst at 3 in the morning.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Call London Plumbing Solutions today, and we’ll take care of all your frozen pipe woes.

If you have a frozen pipe in your home, we’re residential plumbing contractors and will be there to help.

And if your icy pipe repair needs are at your business, we’re also commercial plumbers – we’ll be there for you in that case, too.

Call London Plumbing Solutions today.

Why Do Pipes Freeze?

The obvious answer to this is that pipes freeze when it gets cold. But there’s more to it than that.

Exterior water pipes are insulated against the cold, and if this insulation is damaged or improperly installed, you may end up with a frozen pipe.

It’s most common for outdoor pipes to freeze, but that’s not the only possibility.

If you live in an older home where the basement is generally just used for storage, it might not be properly insulation.

This might not be a big deal on a day to day basis, but it makes your pipes more susceptible to freezing.

Of course, this only happens when it’s cold enough for freezing to happen.

As I write this, it’s currently August, which means I’m not worried about getting any phone calls related to frozen pipe repair plumbing. But give it a few months, and I’m sure I’ll be hearing from some of you.

If your pipes are frozen, we can help. Call London Plumbing Solutions today.

Why Do Frozen Pipes Lead To Burst Pipes?

Okay, so your pipes are frozen. That’s annoying, but they will thaw eventually, right?

Yes, of course they will. Here in Ontario, it might not seem like it but winter does eventually come to an end.

However, that’s not necessarily the end of your frozen pipe woes.

When water freezes, it actually expands. That’s true of the water in the ground, and it’s true of the water in your pipes.

This is actually one of the reasons why the roads here in London end up cracking during the winter and need to be repaired. If you’ve ever gone for a drive in Florida, for example, you’ll notice their roads are much smoother, and that’s because they don’t have cracked roads from winter to deal with.

Anyway, because the water in your pipes expands, it creates additional pressure on the pipes.

This alone might not necessarily cause you to need to call a burst pipe repair plumber. What happens is that the frozen water causes added pressure on your pipes, which can cause your pipe to bulge and burst.

That’s not a great time.

If you do notice you have a frozen pipe, don’t wait for it to burst. Call London Plumbing Solutions today, and we’ll be there for you.

How To Tell If You Have Frozen Pipes

How can you tell if your pipes are frozen?

Here are some of the most common signs:

• There is decreased water pressure in your toilet
• There is decreased water pressure in one or more of your faucets
• Your plumbing is louder than usual –  banging, thumping, whistling, or clanging noises
• You notice a bulged or cracked pipe in an exposed spot
• You find frosty buildup on the outside of one of your pipes
• You notice moisture buildup along one of your walls or floors where pipes run underneath

If you do notice these signs, call London Plumbing Solutions right away, because it might become a much bigger deal pretty quickly.

How To Prevent Frozen Pipes

Obviously, the best way to deal with frozen pipes is to make sure they don’t freeze in the first place. But how do you do that?

Here are some of our top tips for how to prevent frozen pipes:

• Turn off your outdoor plumbing fixtures during the winter
• Turn off the water to your house off entirely if you plan on going on vacation during the winter. Make sure you drain each tap as well
• Make sure the internal temperature of your house is at least 12 degrees Celsius, including in your basement
• Check to see if your pipes are insulated, and call London Plumbing Solutions if they aren’t

It’s also a good idea to get a sump pump repair and installation plumber to come by.

A sump pump won’t help with frozen pipes, but if you do have a pipe burst, your sump pump will help keep the damage to a minimum.

Can You Thaw Frozen Pipes On Your Own?

If you notice you have frozen pipes, there are ways you can unfreeze them yourself. This isn’t always the best idea, since you might not notice all of your frozen pipes.

However, while we recommend calling London Plumbing Solutions right away when you notice you have frozen pipes, here’s what you can do while you wait for us to arrive.

• Turn up the temperature in your house (doesn’t work for outdoor frozen pipes)
• Wrap an electric blanket around your frozen pipe
• Direct an infrared lamp at your frozen pipe
• Use a hair dryer on your frozen pipe
• Wrap a towel soaked in water around your frozen pipe

Before doing any of the above, make sure whatever blocked faucets you have are opened. This way, the water pressure can actually escape as the ice in your pipes melts.

Do not use fire!

Fire can make the problem much much worse. trust us, it’s a terrible idea!

When To Call A Frozen Pipes Repair Plumber in London?

The answer to this question is simple, as soon as you notice a frozen pipe, call London Plumbing Solutions immediately.

Got frozen pipes?

We can help to properly unthaw them, repair burst ones, and provide solutions to prevent them from freezing again in the future.

Frozen pipes can wreak absolute havoc on your plumbing, but we’re here to help.

Call London Plumbing Solutions today.