Saskatoon plumbers ‘definitely’ seeing more service calls during frigid weather

Plumbers in the Saskatoon area are seeing an increase in services calls as pipes freeze and heating systems stop working.

“When the temperatures reach, you know, what we've been seeing like, high 20s, low minus 30, things like that, we definitely see an increase in demand calls,” Centennial Plumbing and Heating service manager Steven Simpson told CTV News.

Simpson said there were many different ways things can go wrong in a home when the weather gets too cold.

“If water lines are installed incorrectly or some of the insulation in older homes starts to not be as good as it was originally, you can get frozen water lines in in wall spaces,” he said.

“In a lot of cases, waterlines shouldn't be wrapped in exterior walls,” he explained. “And we do see a few frozen lines from that reason.”

However, frozen pipes can also be caused when there is a problem with the home’s heating system.

“If you have a mechanical breakdown, like your furnace, your house gets cold,” he said. When that happens, pipes can freeze.

Simpson said they were also seeing a lot of problems with pipes underneath mobile homes.

“Their water lines are starting to freeze at this lower temperature, and it has a lot to do with proper insulation, proper warmth and things along those lines.”

TIPS TO PREVENT FROZEN PIPES

Simpson said there were some things that property owners can do to protect their pipes.

He advised people to make sure the furnace is working properly and change the filters.

It’s also a good idea to look for frost build up.

“With a lot of the high efficient furnaces and high efficient equipment the condensate or the exhaust on the outside pipes can freeze up, cause a blockage, and then the furnace itself will shut down thinking that there's a major issue. It's really just the frost built up and that can just be knocked off or cleaned off,” Simpson said.

He said it was important to have someone checking on the home over the holidays to ensure the heating system continues to work.

“Make sure it's not dipping below dangerous temperatures, because that's when we see it frozen pipes.”