How to Prepare Your Plumbing for a Calgary Winter
Calgary and Airdrie winters can drop to -30°C or colder. When temperatures plunge that low, unprepared plumbing can freeze, crack, and cause thousands of dollars in water damage — often overnight. The good news is that a few simple steps taken before the cold arrives can protect your home all season long.
Disconnect and Drain Outdoor Hoses
This is the single most important step and one of the most commonly skipped. A garden hose left connected to an outdoor tap traps water in the line. When that water freezes, it expands back into your home's pipes — not just the tap itself. Disconnect all hoses, drain them, and store them before the first hard frost.
Shut Off and Drain Exterior Tap Valves
Most Alberta homes have an interior shutoff valve for each exterior tap. Find yours and turn them off for the winter. Then open the exterior tap to drain any remaining water from the line. This eliminates the risk of that section of pipe freezing entirely.
Insulate Pipes in Unheated Spaces
Pipes in your garage, crawl space, basement exterior walls, or any area that is not actively heated are vulnerable. Foam pipe insulation is inexpensive and easy to install — it wraps around the pipe and significantly reduces the risk of freezing. Pay special attention to pipes on exterior-facing walls and in areas where cold air can infiltrate.
Know Where Your Main Water Shutoff Is
If a pipe does freeze and burst, you need to act within seconds — not minutes. Make sure every adult in your household knows exactly where the main water shutoff valve is and how to turn it off. In most Alberta homes it is located near the water meter, typically in the basement or utility room. Test it now to make sure it turns freely.
Keep Your Home Heated — Even When Away
When you leave for a holiday or extended trip, do not turn your heat off entirely. Keep your thermostat set to at least 15°C. Pipes in exterior walls and uninsulated spaces can freeze even when the rest of the house feels warm. A small heating bill is far cheaper than a burst pipe and the water damage that follows.
Open Cabinet Doors Under Sinks
On extremely cold nights, open the cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks on exterior walls. This allows warm air from the room to circulate around the pipes. It is a simple step that can make a real difference when temperatures drop sharply overnight.
Have a Plumber Inspect Vulnerable Areas
If you have had frozen pipes before, or if your home has older plumbing in exposed areas, a licensed plumber can assess your risk and recommend permanent solutions — additional insulation, pipe rerouting, or heat tape for particularly vulnerable sections.
What to Do If a Pipe Freezes
If you turn on a tap and nothing comes out, you likely have a frozen pipe. Do not panic — and do not use an open flame to thaw it. Apply gentle heat with a hair dryer, starting from the tap end and working back. If you cannot locate the frozen section, or if you suspect a pipe has already cracked, shut off your main water supply and call a plumber immediately.
Monty's Plumbing & Heating provides 24/7 emergency plumbing service across Airdrie, Calgary, Cochrane, Crossfield, Carstairs, Didsbury, Olds, and Rocky View County. We are here when you need us most — including the coldest nights of the year.