Any true Canadian can tell you how brutal and frigid the winter months can be. Many Canadian homeowners spend more time than they'd like to admit shovelling snow, salting their walkways and completing other winter-related chores around the home.

As important as these tasks are, Canadian homeowners can't forget to take proper care of their plumbing. Failing to maintain your plumbing correctly can potentially lead to frozen pipes in the winter (which, between us, can be quite a hassle). 

If you want to learn how to prevent pipes from freezing in your home, you can find the information you're looking for down below.

Why and how do pipes freeze?

When the exterior temperature dips below a specific temperature (generally around -6 ℃), the water inside of your pipes begins to condense and eventually freezes.

Generally, exposed pipes are the most prone to freezing in the winter. Some examples include:

• Pipes in your attic
• Pipes in your basement
• Pipes in your garage
• Exterior water lines

Additionally, if your home's exterior is damaged (opening caused by animals, vandalism, general wear and tear, etc.), you should complete the necessary repairs before the temperatures drop. Pipes within close proximity to an opening are more likely to freeze than pipes in a well-maintained home.

Risks related to frozen pipes

As you likely know, when metal gets cold, it condenses. Similarly, if it gets warm, it begins to expand (you can probably see where we're going with this).

If your pipes get too cold, they'll contract — this compromises the line's overall quality and can potentially lead to cracks in the not-so-distant future.

When the temperatures rise after a cold spell, the pipes will expand, making small cracks noticeably worse. In some cases, a small crack can lead to an interior flood, which can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home and potentially lead to mold.

Are your pipes frozen solid? Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible

You're likely asking yourself, "will my insurance provider cover damage caused by a burst pipe?". This is an interesting question because it technically has two answers.

When your insurance provider will cover the damage

If you have all risk home insurance, your provider will cover damage caused by a burst pipe if the damage was caused by an unavoidable risk or peril (an insurance term for an unforeseeable event or natural disaster).

For instance, let's imagine that you recently had your plumbing repaired by a professional plumber in the summer, but they accidentally installed something incorrectly. This mistake goes unnoticed until the winter when you notice a leak coming from the attic. Because the damage was caused by a third-party, your insurance provider will likely cover the cost of the repairs.

When your insurance provider won't cover the damage

Unfortunately, your insurance provider will not cover pipe-related damage if it's the result of negligence or a lack of proper maintenance.

As an example, let's imagine that you accidentally forgot to turn off your exterior water system. After several consecutive cold days, the water line gets blocked up with ice. This puts pressure on the pipe and causes it to burst. Because you (the homeowner) forgot to maintain your plumbing, your provider isn't obligated to provide financial support.

So, if you want to ensure that you receive financial support after dealing with water damage caused by a frozen pipe, you should do everything in your power to prevent the issue from occurring in the first place.

Plumbing maintenance 101: how to keep pipes from freezing in your home

If you're worried about your pipes freezing, then you can get some peace of mind by making use of this list of tips and tricks that our team of experts has put together for you. These tips will drastically decrease the chances of pipe-related issues from occurring:

Keep your garage doors closed

As mentioned earlier, exposed pipes, like those found in many residential garages, are prone to freezing. This is because garages aren't insulated to the same standards as the interior of a house.

Additionally, this damage is occasionally caused by prolonged exposure to frigid temperatures — this often occurs when you leave your garage door open for too long.

Keeping your garage doors closed won't just keep your pipes in tip-top shape; it can also increase the temperature inside your home (talk about a win-win situation).

This brings us to our next tip...

Keep your house warm

Nothing is better than returning to a warm home after working outside in the winter. But, what’s the best way to keep your home warm over the winter? We suggest starting with your thermostat settings.

As a rule of thumb, you should set your thermostat no lower than 13 ℃ and no higher than 20 ℃ during the winter. 

Maintaining this temperature range will ensure that your pipes won't get too cold or hot over the winter months. Not to mention, keeping your home at this temperature will also help you stay cozy, especially if you do not have a fireplace to warm you up.

Purchase a space heater

Preventing frozen pipes is easier than you'd expect, especially if you have the right tools at your disposal. If you've noticed that a particular line in your home is more prone to freezing, you may want to purchase a space heater.

Modern space heaters are available in various sizes, power levels and price points — this makes finding the perfect product a breeze.

Keeping a space heater near a pesky pipe can drastically minimize the risk of freezing.

Leave cabinet doors open

Although our final tip may seem odd, it's extremely handy and only takes a minute to try.

The next time you step out for a few hours, open your cabinet doors before you leave. Doing this will enhance the airflow in your home. By improving the airflow, you're allowing warm air to circulate in areas that are generally hidden behind a series of doors.

Opening your cabinet doors is a simple and effective way to prevent your often-forgotten pipes from getting too cold during the winter.

Don't let your pipes freeze ever again!

Now that you know how to stop your pipes from freezing, it's time to implement what you've learned. Taking the time to utilize the tips listed above can save you from dealing with an expensive (and avoidable) headache this winter.