B.C. residents battle frozen pipes from extreme cold

Roland Bouthillier woke up to find the water in his kitchen had frozen when temperatures in Chilliwack, about 100 km east of Vancouver, fell to -12 C in the recent cold blast. 

Bouthillier placed a bunch of heaters under the water lines in his kitchen area to thaw the pipe, only for them to freeze again later that night. 

"Dealing with it in this cold weather is just like, impossible," Bouthillier said. 

He's one of several residents in B.C. experiencing similar problems. Jarod Hughes, the owner of Rather Be Plumbing in Victoria, said December and January are peak months for repairs.

Bouthillier tried to do his own repairs. He cut a hole in the floor, wrapped the pipes and added insulation, but as the weather became increasingly cold, so did the pipes at his home. 

"To thaw it out, we used the hair dryer and we blew it down the hole that was accessible there and it thawed out fairly quickly," he said. "But we really haven't got the problem 100 per cent fixed." 

Bouthillier figured that a vent going from the oven to the outside was bringing in cold air and freezing the water line. 

"So our solution was to leave our oven fan on, so that at night the air can't blow in."

He plans to look for a permanent fix when the weather warms up. 

Tips to prevent frozen pipes

In Victoria, Hughes said his company has been getting 10 to 30 calls every day related to pipes freezing and water lines bursting. 

"Victoria just isn't ready for these kind of cold temperatures," he said, adding people should disconnect their hoses and winterize them.

He recommended turning off the 'shut-off valve' for the home's water supply and letting any remaining water drain out completely.

If you don't have winterizing capabilities, you could wrap hose bibbs to provide insulation, or use hot towels and heating pads as alternatives, he said. 

Another way to keep the water lines working is to leave the tap on a little so there's a slow drip into the sink, he said.

For those who are going to be away, Hughes recommended using a smart home water system, like the Moen Flo.

The device is installed on the home's main water supply and connected to an app on the phone. It can detect issues with the water lines and alerts homeowners in the event of a leak or an emergency.