How to keep pipes from freezing as P.E.I. temperatures dip
Cold temperatures the psat few days have been keeping plumbers busy as Islanders deal with frozen pipes and furnaces that aren't working.
Thursday night for instance, temperatures were forecast to dip to –18 C.
Jeremy Marshall from J. Marshall's Heating says the typical calls he gets this time of year are related to frozen pipes and no heat or hot water.
Running out of oil is the number one reason pipes freeze, Marshall said.
It's not much good if you're breaking down in the –27 weather and it's in the middle of the night. — Jeremy Marshall
To prevent problems, he recommends keeping pipes warm with insulated sleeves and wrapping pipes in unheated areas with heat trace cables.
"It doesn't hurt to insulate your pipes because it will save on your heating costs as well," he said.
Marshall also suggests keeping windows and doors closed as much as possible in order to retain heat, and keeping long curtains away from radiators as they can block heat flow.
'It can get pretty costly'
Marshall said he's noticed many people neglecting their furnaces and not taking care of them annually.
"You should always have your furnace maintained before the winter hits, just so that you're ready for it," he said.
"It's not much good if you're breaking down in the –27 weather and it's in the middle of the night."
"It can get pretty costly."
More P.E.I. news
