Fire department lined up with frozen pipe calls
Posted Dec 9, 2016 1:15 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The home is supposed to be the escape from the cold, but the Calgary Fire Department says many are getting affected by frozen pipes.
“We’re dealing with probably a dozen a day at least based on the weather, that I know about, and I’m not informed of all of them,” Battalion Chief John Cherweniuk said, adding calls have ranged from small residential lines to large industrial ones.
Just Friday morning, there was a pipe burst that caused flooding to some streets and businesses in the downtown.
Cherweniuk said most of the problems are due to inadequate heating, installation, exposure or a combination of the three.
When water in a pipe freezes, it expands about 10 per cent, creating extra pressure on water in the line.
“Which can actually crack the pipe, most people think it’s the ice that cracks it, but it’s actually the water pressure,” Cherweniuk explained.
He added the best advice is to have a plumber look at your pipes if you’re concerned, as there will also be issues when warmer weather arrives.
“The water is going to start to flow in the lines that have frozen or damaged fittings or pipes that are completely frozen now,” he said. “So it’s really hard to detect a leak until it warms up and the water starts flowing again and that’s why you’ll see a rash of additional calls when the weather warms up, because the water is going to be free-flowing through the lines that are damaged.”
