THUNDER BAY -- Frigid weather conditions in Thunder Bay have created a busy holiday period for plumbing businesses. The cold has caused ice to form in the water service lines to numerous residences.
"Every one of my calls the last two days has been dealing with frozen pipes," said a spokesperson in the service department at Clow Darling. She told tbnewswatch.com that the phone was ringing off the hook, with about 30 calls on Wednesday and a similar number anticipated by the end of the day Thursday.
By mid-morning on Thursday, Larry's Mechanical Systems had already received six calls about frozen pipes. A representative said problems arise when pipes aren't properly insulated against the cold.
Homeowners may also call the city for help when their water service is frozen.
David Warwick, a supervisor in sewer and water maintenance, said the city is receiving a large number of calls.
Staff can visit a home to assess the problem and offer advice about thawing the water line if the blockage exists within the owner's property line."In most cases," Warwick said, it's a matter either of "people not turning their heat traces on or not heating their basements or crawl spaces properly."
Staff will evaluate the situation, he said, "but unfortunately we really don't do much inside the home. We can advise them of what they might need to do."
In a couple of instances in recent days, staff have gone one step farther by bringing the city's specialized thawing equipment to a residence. Warwick said "Their crawl spaces were so cold it was frozen below the ground, and they weren't able to thaw it with a hair dryer or a heat gun."
In this kind of case, the owner is charged on a cost-recovery basis.
To reduce the risk of a frozen water service, the city makes a number of suggestions:
- If water piping is located within cupboards next to exterior walls, keep cupboard doors open to allow warmer air to circulate around pipes
- Do not set furnace lower than 55 degrees F at night, or when the house is vacant
- Close and drain pipes leading to outside faucets
- Wrap foam pipe insulation around pipes most susceptible to freezing (for example, pipes near outside walls, in crawl spaces, or in attics)
- Seal air leaks in homes and garages
- If you will be away for a long period of time, close off your main service valve in your basement and open all taps to allow pipes to drain, and have someone check your home regularly
According to Warwick, there have been no issues during the current cold spell with ruptured water mains in Thunder Bay. He said the frost has penetrated no farther than three feet, whereas problems are more likely to arise closer to the six-foot level.
Overnight temperatures in the city are expected to moderate slightly Thursday and Friday nights before returning to the -30 C range for the weekend.
