Do your pipes appear to be frozen? Here are some tips for testing before you alert us or call a plumber. 

• Turn all faucets on.
• Check all along the piping that supplies the faucet to find the frozen area. It will be icy or frozen. The pipe may be cracked, or bulging slightly.
• Turn the heat up in the room to the highest possible temperature (24°C or higher).
• Heat the frozen area with a hair dryer, point a heater at the frozen part of the pipe, or use electric heating tape for 30 minutes. Be sure to monitor the operation closely and do not allow any electrical equipment to come into contact with the water. 

If none of these techniques work, the next step is to determine whether the affected piping is part of the private portion (which belongs to you) or the public portion.

Here’s how to identify the source of the problem: 

• If water is flowing from another faucet inside the building, the private portion of the plumbing is probably involved. 

You must contact a plumbing company at your own expense. The city will not repair the private portion of a building’s plumbing. 

• If water is not flowing from any faucet inside the building, the issue is probably the plumbing outside the building. 

Our team will come to you to fix the issue.

Has the city confirmed it will dispatch its employee(s) to your building? We need you to be on site to interact with our team. You can also delegate someone to replace you. 

Before we arrive, please ensure that the shut-off valve located outside your building (water main) is accessible and free of any obstructions. 

Once the repair is complete, you will need to: 

• Sign a notice that you, as the owner, undertake to follow the instructions provided by our team.
• Allow a thin stream of water to flow for several days from your faucets to keep water running through the pipes so that freezing is prevented.

Follow our tips to help prevent frozen pipes before and during episodes of extreme cold.