How to keep pipes from freezing as P.E.I. temperatures dip

Cold temperatures the past few days have beenkeeping plumbers busy as Islanders dealwith frozen pipes and furnaces that aren'tworking.

Thursday night for instance, temperatures were forecast to dip to18 C.

Jeremy Marshall fromJ. Marshall's Heating saysthe typical calls he getsthis time of year arerelated to frozen pipes and no heat orhot water.

Running out of oil isthe number one reasonpipes freeze,Marshallsaid.

It's not much good if you're breaking down in the 27 weather and it's in the middle of the night. Jeremy Marshall

To prevent problems, he recommendskeeping pipes warm with insulated sleeves andwrapping pipesin unheated areaswithheat trace cables.

"It doesn't hurt to insulate your pipes because it will save on your heating costs as well," he said.

Marshall also suggests keeping windows and doors closed as much as possible in order to retain heat, and keeping long curtains away from radiatorsasthey can block heat flow.

'It can get pretty costly'

Marshall said he's noticed many people neglecting their furnaces and not taking care of them annually.

"You should always have your furnace maintained before the winter hits, just so that you're ready for it," he said.

"It's not much good if you're breaking down in the 27 weather and it's in the middle of the night."

"It can get pretty costly."

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