With chilly conditions that can go well below -30°C, the icy Calgary weather can do a number on the plumbing in a home.

Keep winter’s icy embrace from your outside drain pipes by learning how to prevent freezing from occurring!

How Does Freezing Impact Your Plumbing?

You would be surprised to find how cold temperatures can significantly affect your plumbing.

When temperatures drop, water can expand resulting in pipe blockages. Once blocked, this can lead to being unable to access running water. Even worse, pressure from the blockage can lead to a pipe bursting and needing plumbing repairs.

Even when winter ends, freezing on your outside pipes can result in foundation water damage, exterior wall cracks, and leaks into your basement or crawlspace.

Signs of Freezing in Your Plumbing

Now you know what could happen if you don’t prevent freezing from occurring. But how can you spot the signs of freezing?

Temperature – This is a pretty obvious indicator. However, many don’t know the exact temperature of when water freezes. When temperatures drop to under 0°C, it can eventually lead to frozen pipes. Keep in mind weather reports on potential freezing conditions.

Frosted Pipes – If Jack Frost left his mark on your outside drain pipes, then it’s a clear signal to implement preventative measures. If you’re unable to know the exact temperature, this sign is quite obvious to see.

No Water – As stated, freezing can lead to blockages in your pipes. When this happens, you might find yourself without water. As a basic human need, being without water for too long isn’t ideal. Instances like these may require an emergency plumber.

Sudden Smells – Odd smells from pipes are never a good sign. It’s more worrisome during winter. When frozen pipes are blocked, odours can’t escape and end up back in the direction of your home.

How Can You Prevent Freezing from Occurring?

There is not much you can do about the cold. However, you can take control by preventing freezing from occurring.

Insulation – A sure-fire way to prevent freezing is to insulate as it promotes heat retention. It’s recommended to use polyethylene insulation when wrapping it around your outside drain pipes. If you’re still uncertain, insight from a licensed Calgary plumber is helpful.

Snow Removal – Calgary is no stranger to heavy snow. By getting rid of the snow surrounding your pipe, you can effectively reduce the chances of freezing from happening.

Calgary Plumber and Drains is your number one team of Calgary plumbers! Our success has been built on values such as honesty, hard work, affordable prices and superior customer service. We pride ourselves on offering clients throughout Downtown and surrounding areas with top-quality plumbing services, including leak repairs, installations, sewer and drain cleaning, toilet repairs, and water heater repairs in Calgary. As an emergency plumber in Calgary, we’re available when you’re in dire straits! For the number one plumbing company in Calgary, contact Calgary Plumber and Drains at 403-629-2920.

Are you planning on undertaking some bathroom renovations for your home? Do you wish to upgrade and improve your plumbing systems, such as your hot water tank? What about a sewer line replacement or repair?

Before you jump the gun, it’s important to know if you need a plumbing permit for the job. Let’s dive right in and find out!

When Do I Need a Plumbing Permit?

Ultimately, you do not need a plumbing permit if you are undertaking maintenance, minor plumbing repairs or upgrading certain bathroom elements in your home. The most common examples include replacing or repairing a toilet, fixing faucets, repairing a leak or installing a new shower.

The key reason is that these repairs do not affect the structural integrity of your home or plumbing system. Generally, if you are doing any repair, maintenance or upgrades that alter the structure or plumbing system (such as water supply or sewer lines) of your home, you will require a permit from the City of Calgary.

According to the City of Calgary, “a plumbing permit is required when: A plumbing system is constructed, extended or altered [or a] Water and sewer lines in or around the home are replaced.”

In some cases, you might require a permit when installing or repairing a hot water tank, particularly if there are any changes to the “the gas lines located upstream from the water heater shut off valve, the venting system (e.g. size and design) [and] the type of water heater (e.g. changing from a natural draft water heater to a direct vent water heater).”

What are the Benefits of a Permit?

Having a permit before you commence any major plumbing or renovation work will give you peace of mind knowing that you’re following City bylaws while ensuring a high standard of work is being met by the plumber. Plumbers will have to follow the standard set by the work, guaranteeing a higher quality of work.

Most significantly, it also protects you against liabilities or fines in the future. Not only will you face a penalty from the City of Calgary, but if you sell your home, the buyers can make a claim against you if the work affects their home.

Is it Easy to Apply for a Permit?

To obtain a permit, you will have to meet the criteria set by the City of Calgary (including whether you legally own the home, do the work yourself or hire a professional), pay the application fee, and apply for the permit.

Should Hire a Plumber to Help Me?

Indeed, you should. Having an experienced plumber on your side (like the experts at Calgary Plumber and Drains) can make your permit application process easier. They will be able to manage your application for you, so it gets accepted without any further delays. It’s the best option if you don’t want to apply for an application yourself.

Frozen pipes are a homeowner’s worst nightmare in the winter.

The risks include expensive and extensive plumbing repairs and damaged walls and ceilings. So what do you do when your pipes freeze in the winter?

Before we get to that, let’s look at the signs that indicate your pipes are frozen.

Signs Your Pipes are Frozen

If you experience any of the following, your pipes could be frozen:

Damp drywall or ceiling
Limited water coming through the pipes
Gurgling sounds when pipes are running
Smelly water
Bulging pipes

What Should I Do?

There are a few simple steps you can take to ensure your frozen pipes don’t damage your home:

Shut off your water source. Find your main water supply source and shut it off.
Try to find the frozen pipe. If possible, see if you can find it.
Check for leaks around the pipe. Determining the pipe’s condition can help you know what to do next.
Try to thaw it. Using a portable heater, heating cable, electric heating pad, or hairdryer can help thaw your pipes.
Contact a plumber. If the pipe is leaking, heavily damaged, or unable to thaw it, then having a professional plumber review and fix it is your best course of action.

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

The best way to prevent your pipes from freezing is to keep them at a temperature above zero. Here is how you can do it effectively:

Insulate the pipes – Purchasing specifically designed pipe insulation made from fibreglass, polyethylene or foam. These can help protect your pipes from any cold throughout the winter.
Use heating tape – Similar to pipe insulation, applying heating tape to pipes can help them retain heat.
Cover crawl spaces and gaps – Ensuring that gaps are closed will stop any cold air flowing into and onto your pipes, reducing the chances it will freeze.
Let your faucet and pipes – It might seem strange, but letting the water run through your pipes will help it during winter. The small amount of friction and heat produced by water can keep your pipes from freezing.
Keep your thermostat consistent – Keeping your home nice and toasty will ensure that the pipes remain at a decent temperature.
Close the windows and doors – Ensuring that no cold enters your home will help protect your pipes from getting exposed to extreme colds.

Preventing frozen pipes is the best way to protect your home, avoiding emergency plumbing situations and costly repairs. If you do suspect that you have a frozen pipe, it’s best to contact a Calgary plumber as soon as possible!

Don’t think that all plumbing pipes are the same.

In today’s plumbing world, there are many types of plumbing pipes available: some made from newer materials, and some are old classics.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of these six commonly used plumbing pipes.

Modern-Day Plumbing Pipes

Copper Pipes

Commonly used for water supply lines within the home, copper pipes (also known as rigid copper) are better plumbing options available. Not only is the pipe easy to install and repair for professional Calgary plumbers (as it can be easily cut copper cutters), but for homeowners, it handles heat well, stands up to high water pressure and can be recycled.

As for the cons: it can be a tad more expensive than other plumbing pipe options, and it’s not a pipe for DIY projects. It’s best to leave that to the professionals.

PEX Pipes

PEX is made from HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) and is a long-lasting alternative to most older-day pipes. It is durable, cost-effective, non-toxic, resists freezing damage, and doesn’t corrode from the inside.

As such, it’s considered the best replacement pipe for plumbing repairs.

PVC Pipes

Short for polyvinyl chloride, PVC has slowly become one of the more popular choices for residential plumbing systems.

Made with a combination of plastic and vinyl (in technical terms, thermoplastic polymer), these pipes have a long life span, have more durability than most other metal pipes, and can easily handle water pressure, making them ideal for the main supply line. It is also easy to mould and bend to your will and has a low-cost attached to it.

However, it can also be susceptible to warping, especially in extremely hot water, and cannot be unjoined and must be cut when they are glued together.

CPVC Pipes

Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride, shortened to CPVC, is the sister of PVC. Both are made with similar elements and materials, with the key difference being that CPVC is chlorinated.

What does this mean?

It means that apart from sharing many of the same benefits as PVC, CPVC pipes can also withstand higher temperatures than PVC pipes. This ensures CPVC can handle hot water transport.

Outdated Plumbing Pipes Still in Use

Poly B Pipes

Poly B pipes are also known as Polybutylene pipes. They are flexible grey pipes mainly used in hot water and residential plumbing systems. It was considered the standard home pipe, as it was used in properties from 1985 to 1997 because of its flexibility, low cost, and ease of installation.

However, due to its reputation for being notoriously problematic, resulting in hairline cracks, leaks at fittings and bends when exposed to excessive high-temperature, uv light or high-pressure areas, it has been replaced with more advanced pipes, such as PEX.

Galvanized Steel

While not common in today’s housing construction, galvanized steel was big in the 1980s, and many homes still have them today. The steel pipes are coated with a layer of zinc, which helps prevent any build-up of rust, while they can easily be threaded together at the ends.

As for the reasons why homes don’t have them anymore: they eventually corrode and block water flow while also passing on lead into the water supply. Unfortunately, a lot of homes still have them and use them (particularly for some applications, like natural gas hot water heaters). It’s best to get them replaced when possible.

When your pipes get clogged, it’s an inconvenient problem that needs to be sorted. The real question is, though: is it your drain or the city sewer line?

And if it’s the latter, how do you solve the problem?

Before we look at your options, let’s see what signs indicate that you have a city sewer line problem.

Signs of Sewer Line Clog

There are some key signs that your sewer line is clogged:

Water back-ups into your drain, toilet, shower and sink
You hear gurgling sounds coming from the pipes
Slow-running drains due to low water pressure
Foul odours coming from your drains
Sewage coming back up through drains

The key difference between a regular drain clog and a sewer line clog is that the former can be solved easily while the latter constantly causes these problems and tends to worsen over time.

Who to Turn to for Sewer Line Replacement in Calgary

Determine Who is Responsible for the Repair or Replacement

In most municipalities across Calgary, the homeowner is responsible for maintaining and repairing the sewer line running from their property to the mainline. If it’s on your property, it’s your job to fix it. If not, it’s the municipality. You can only determine that by getting your sewer line inspected by a professional.

Contact Your Calgary Plumber

If you suspect that your sewer line is clogged up, the first thing you should do is contact your local Calgary plumber. They will further inspect your sewer with their advanced in-pipe CCTV camera system to determine its condition and if you need sewer line repairs or a replacement.

Depending on the assessment results, your Calgary plumber can provide you with advice on the best course of action for your clogged sewer. In most cases, they will handle the work themselves without reaching out to the city or municipality.

Notify the City of Calgary

There are some situations where, unfortunately, the plumber cannot solve the problem. There might not be issues with the sewer line, but the mainline, which has affected the efficiency and quality of your sewer line.

Often, the city will work on the sewer line and inadvertently break a pipe or cause other damage, resulting in a clogged line.

If there is a problem in the mainline affecting your sewer line, you’ll have to contact the City of Calgary or your local municipality for more information and help.

Hot water heaters are standard for most homes across Canada. Whether traditional gas or electric, or even tankless options, hot water heaters are essential to offering functionality, peace of mind and value to your home.

Unfortunately, like all good equipment, it has an expiration date. Knowing when and how long hot water heaters last is an important question to understand. As are noticing when the warning signs start to appear, you know it’s time for a hot water tank replacement in Calgary.

Signs of Water Heater Replacement in Calgary

A water heater not working can be the result of any number of things. Key signs that your water heater might have extensive problems include the following:

Banging or rumbling noises from the tank
Damaged pilot light, gas control or burner.
Tinted hot water, either red or dirty yellow, coming from any faucet in the home
The water has a smelly or distinct odour
You have varying water temperature issues or experience a drop in water temperature
You notice reduced water flow, or you don’t have enough hot water
Water pooling around the base of the tank or there is a significant leak occurring

In a best-case scenario, the signs could require minimal repairs. In the worst-case scenario, it might require a replacement.

Costs of Water Heater Repair vs Water Heater Replacement in Calgary

Water heater repairs in Calgary can be handled quickly and economically. Home Guide states that the cost of water heater repairs ranges from $150 to $500.

However, it might be wiser to replace your current water heater at some point instead of continually paying for repairs.

Home Guide quotes the cost to install a new water heater in Calgary ranges from “$650 to $900 for a 40 to 50-gallon tank, and between $1,470 and $2,510 for tankless,” plus the labour charge from the Calgary plumber, you’ll save money and secure your hot water heater for years to come by opting for a replacement.

How Do I Maintain My Hot Water Heater in Calgary?

Regular maintenance is essential for ensuring that your water heater operates as expected. You should bring in a Calgary plumber twice a year to inspect and flush out your unit to ensure that it maintains its functionality.

The plumber can also inspect if any other repairs are required or if it’s time your water heater gets replaced.

How Long Do Water Heaters Last?

On average, a properly installed and high-quality water heater tank can last between 8 to 12 years. Once they have been operating for this long, they start to lose their efficiency and become susceptible to damage.

With the above information, you can now notice the signs that your water heater needs to be replaced by a trusted Calgary plumber.