Insurance company shares tips for homeowners after frozen pipe claims rise by 191%
Home and car insurance agency Square One is warning homeowners after insurance claims for frozen pipes — which can lead to bursting incidents — spiked dramatically due to bad weather across Canada.
An aggressive winter has overtaken the nation, causing road blockages, accidents, power issues, and more.
A BC-based homeowner recently shared photos with Daily Hive showing how a burst pipe led to flooding in her home.
Supplied
A Reddit user shared the following video on Wednesday, showing a burst pipe leaking copiously at Surrey Central Station in BC.
Bit of a leak at Surrey Central Station š§šæš°
byu/brophy87 inSurreyBC
In an email to Daily Hive, Square One reported a 191% increase in burst pipe insurance claims in early 2024 compared to early 2023.
“Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen almost three times as many cold-weather-related claims come in compared to the same time last year,” said Wendy McCracken, claims manager at Square One. “And the majority of them arose from frozen pipes.”
“When the water inside a pipe freezes, the pressure can cause pipes and fittings to burst,” said the agency, adding that an incident as such costs, on average, about $16,000 to repair.
We can’t control the weather, but homeowners can take specific measures and precautions to avoid a frozen pipe ordeal and make smarter insurance decisions if the worst happens.
Preventative measures
Vince Singh of Port Coquitlam, BC’s Clearly Plumbing, said homeowners should insulate any exposed water lines and make sure garden hoses are disconnected. “Those would be the two big ones,” he added.
You should know exactly where your home’s main water shut-off valve is so you can close it if a pipe bursts or leaks.
If your pipes are at risk, install heat tape on them. “Heat tape is an electronic cable installed directly on pipes that will keep them warm when needed,” Square One said.
Seal any cracks or gaps that allow cold air from outside to enter your home.
“When the temperatures drop, turn the heat up in the house. You want the heat to radiate throughout the house and keep everything warmer,” advised Singh. “Once the cold gets in, it starts attacking the plumbing.”
Experts said your home’s indoor temperature should be at least 16Ā°C at all times of the day, regardless of whether anyone’s home or not.
Opening up cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms can help heat any exposed plumbing.
If you have a garage, keep its doors closed.
Monitoring the situation
During freezing weather conditions, it’s critical to efficiently monitor how the weather affects your home’s pipes and plumbing.
“Pay attention to the rate of water flow from taps,” warns Singh. “If the flow starts to slow down or stop, the pipes may begin to freeze.”
Singh shared an old-school method of dealing with such a situation: go to a bathtub and run some cold water to stop the pipes from freezing completely. Doing this with a bathtub helps avoid flooding.
If you’re going away for a bit, ensure someone else can monitor your home regularly. But if you’re leaving for a long period, you might want to turn off your main water supply and drain the pipes completely.
“To add to this, I recommend homeowners install a leak detection system, so if it does burst, the leak detection system can actually stop or mitigate the flood,” shared Singh.
Bursting pipes and home insurance
Square One says home insurance usually covers the damage caused by a frozen, burst pipe, but the matter is subject to two conditions, as follows:
- If water damage occurs due to a sudden and unexpected breakage in a heated part of the home.
- If the homeowner is away from the home for more than a certain number of days during the usual heating season.
“It’s important to note that there’s no definition of the usual heating season because temperatures vary greatly across Canada, and each insurance provider sets the number of days away before the homeowner must take action,” shared McCracken. “For example, policies offered byĀ SquareĀ One require homeowners away for more than seven days.”
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