It is cold outside and there are more cold days to come. In temperatures like this, frozen water and sewer lines are definitely possible.
City of Kimberley staff have provided the following tips to help prevent any problems.
Frozen Water Line Prevention – If the water service line to your home has ever frozen or you have noticed a reduced water flow in your home during the winter, leave one tap running cold water day and night (stream should be the size of a pencil or more). This will help to prevent your lines from freezing. Since frost sinks deeper into the ground when air temperatures rise after a period of extreme cold, you will need to keep the water running continually until mid-April to avoid having the line freeze. The City encourages residents who have experienced frozen water service lines in the past to be pro-active by ensuring indoor lines are properly insulated, keeping a good snow cover over the ground above the service lines and installing a bleeder line system.
Frozen Sewer Lines – To aid in preventing frozen sewer lines, it is important to run hot water through your sewage system once per day when experiencing cold temperatures. If you suspect your sewer line to be freezing, fill your bathtub one quarter full of hot water then release the water to thaw the sewer line (while monitoring for possible backup in the line). Control the release of the water with the drain plug. This may need to be repeated one or two times, and possibly every day or two to ensure the line does not freeze. Performing a load or two of laundry each day using hot water will also help to reduce freezing issues. Please contact a plumber if you have attempted this and the sewer line functionality is not improving or draining appropriately.
