Prevention is the most important strategy to avoid pipes from freezing. Properly winterizing your home is a good place to start. When it begins to get cold overnight in the fall months, make sure that water lines to outside faucets, pools, or water features are turned off and drained. Throughout the winter, ensure that your home does not get colder than 15°C, monitor your home for cold areas that might need more insulation or heating, and open sink cabinet doors that might isolate pipes from the heat. Ensure water is running regularly through your pipes, and if you are going away, arrange for someone to monitor your home for you and continue with preventative measures. It can also be a good idea to turn off your water and open a few faucets if you are going away for a week or more. There are few things you will need to consider before you do this. First, do you have a boiler that is doing any space heating? If you do, make sure it is a CLOSED system. An OPEN system could be tied into your municipal water and turning off the water could put your boiler system at risk. If you are unsure, don’t be afraid to ask. We can help advise you in the best course of action based on your equipment and situation.