Chinook Freeze-Thaw and Your Pipes

Why freeze-thaw matters

Water expands as it freezes. A pipe that froze and cracked may not leak until the ice melts. With frequent chinooks, Lethbridge pipes can freeze and thaw several times in one winter.

Where to look

Attached garages, crawl spaces, exterior walls, under bay windows and anywhere wind can reach a pipe. Outdoor taps are the most common culprit when a hose was left attached.

Before winter

Disconnect hoses, close the inside valves for outdoor taps and drain them, insulate exposed pipes and seal gaps where pipes enter the house. Wind-driven cold gets into small openings.

After every warm spell

Walk the basement and garage and look for damp spots, drips or water stains. Check the wall behind outdoor taps. Catching a leak early keeps the repair small.

On the coldest nights

Let a tap on an exterior wall drip, open cabinet doors under sinks and keep the heat steady overnight.

If a pipe splits

Close the main valve and open a low tap. See frozen pipe repair.

Wind adds to the cold

Lethbridge ranks second in Canada for windy days, and wind strips heat from walls and pipes much faster than still air. A pipe that would survive a calm cold night can freeze on a windy one. Pay extra attention to pipes on the side of the house that faces the prevailing wind.

Garages and workshops

Attached garages often have a laundry tap, a hose bib or supply lines in the shared wall. Keep the garage door closed in cold weather and insulate any pipe you can see there.

More plumbing guides

• Finding Your Main Water Shut-Off
• Reading Your Hot Water Tank Label
• Backwater Valve Basics for Lethbridge Basements
• Hard Water and Your Plumbing
• Hiring a Plumber in Alberta