If you’re going away on a trip during the winter months the City of Moncton is reminding you to take some precautions to avoid returning to frozen pipes.
They remind residents that in cold temperatures, pipes can freeze in as little as 24 hours.
The City has a few helpful tips including locating the main water shut off valve in your house and turning off the water and then draining the pipes.
Or you can call the City Dispatch Line at 859 – 2643 and have them shut your water off for you while you’re away.
They also say while it’s a great idea to lower the heat when you’re gone to conserve energy, and money, you shouldn’t drop the heat below 13 degrees Celsius – that’s 55 degrees Fahrenheit – and you definitely shouldn’t shut off the heat at all to areas of your house with plumbing or water fixtures.
That includes bathrooms, the kitchen, and the laundry room – they add if you have uninsulated fixtures in cupboards, you should open the doors to allow heat to get in more easily to keep pipes warm.
They add it’s important to make sure all your windows and doors are closed and sealed properly to prevent winter winds from getting in and freezing pipes.
Finally, they say if possible you should have a neighbour or family member drop by the house once a day to ensure that in the event there is a problem, it will be noticed and taken care of immediately.
