City of Hamilton sees spike in calls about frozen water pipes

Approximately 100 property owners in Hamilton have reported frozen water pipes in recent days.

With that in mind, the city is reminding residents to take steps to reduce the risk of frozen pipes during colder winter temperatures.

Homeowners can prevent water pipes from freezing by:

• Sealing air leaks in the home and garage
• Wrapping pipes in unheated areas with insulating sleeves
• Disconnecting, shutting off and/or draining all outdoor hoses and taps
• Opening a cold water faucet to allow a small trickle of water to flow through the pipes (about the width of a pencil).
• Opening kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing
• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage

The City of Hamilton is responsible for frozen water lines from the property line to the water main while building owners are responsible from the property line to the building.

To date this winter, all reported frozen water service lines have been on private property.

The city says homeowners who experience frozen pipes should take the following steps:

• Call 905 546-CITY (546-2489) to report the frozen water service.
• If the frozen pipe is the building owner’s responsibility, hire a qualified contractor to thaw the pipes.
• Make sure that any hired contractor uses CSA-certified equipment that is designed for thawing water pipes.
• Any homeowner attempting to thaw out pipes without a qualified contractor should use hot water bottles, hot towels, hair dryers or small heaters.
• Never use an open flame to thaw a water pipe.