(Newswire.net — January 25, 2014) Vancouver, BC — Each winter, our beloved Lower Mainland area is subjected to occasional spells of below-freezing temperatures. We rarely see extended cold snaps, and temperatures below minus ten only occur every few years.
Occasional Cold Snaps Spell Trouble
Some people in the Greater Vancouver area, and beyond, are victims of frozen and burst pipes when the cold weather does invade. Though many of our residents may not think it necessary to prepare for that eventuality, they could be kicking themselves if they came home to a flood caused by a burst pipe.
Preparation is the Key
The most vulnerable pipes are those that are exposed to weather, followed by pipes in uninsulated crawl spaces under some houses and mobile homes. Insulating these pipes or even heating them is essential to the safety of your property. Water’s property of expanding, however slightly, when frozen puts tremendous pressure on pipes and can break any pipe material, from plastic to copper to cast iron.
How Do You Handle a Burst Pipe?
Hopefully you will never have this experience, but if you do the first thing you should do is shut off the water supply to the affected pipe, and then to the whole house. This means knowing where shutoff valves are located. Next you will need professional help in repairing or replacing the broken pipe, and this is where Vancouver’s Certified Local Pros come in.
Experienced plumbing professionals, Certified Local Pro offers 24-hour emergency response for any plumbing emergencyin most areas of Greater Vancouver. Not only can they repair the problem, they can also offer advice to help prevent future occurrences and can even help with the restoration work that is usually needed following a burst pipe scenario.
Serving Vancouver BC
Once the problem has been resolved ask the technician to perform a water pressure test to avoid future problems. High water pressure is a common plumbing problem in the lower mainland and can be controlled with a water pressure reducing valve. It is an inexpensive solution to a potentially disastrous problem.