Regina regularly sees temperatures that drop to -30°C or colder, and those temperatures are hard on residential plumbing. Pipes in exterior walls, unheated crawl spaces, and under-insulated areas are particularly vulnerable to freezing — and a frozen pipe that bursts can release hundreds of litres of water before anyone notices, especially in a home that's not being actively monitored.
Understanding why pipes freeze helps explain where to focus your prevention efforts. Water expands when it freezes, and that expansion creates pressure inside a closed pipe that the material can't contain indefinitely. The pipe doesn't necessarily burst at the ice point — it bursts downstream of the blockage, where pressure builds up without anywhere to go. This means the actual break can be in a wall, ceiling, or floor cavity that's difficult to access, and the water damage spreads before the failure is discovered.
The pipes most at risk in a Regina home are those routed through exterior walls, particularly on the north-facing side of the house. Kitchen and bathroom plumbing on exterior walls — sink supply lines, drain lines running through wall cavities — are the most common failure points. Pipes in garages, unheated basement areas near slab edges, and vacation properties left unheated are also high-risk.
For prevention, the most effective measure is ensuring that all plumbing in exterior walls and vulnerable areas is properly insulated. Pipe insulation sleeves are inexpensive and can be installed by a homeowner in an afternoon. For pipes that are already minimally insulated and have frozen before, heat cable — a self-regulating electrical heating element wrapped around the pipe — provides an additional layer of protection. A plumber can advise on which pipes in your home are most vulnerable and what level of protection makes sense.
Maintaining a minimum indoor temperature during cold snaps is another important factor. Many homeowners reduce their thermostat setting when they leave town or go to sleep, which is a reasonable energy-saving measure under normal conditions. During extended cold snaps, however, the interior of exterior walls can drop below freezing even with the thermostat at 15 or 16°C. A setting of 18°C or higher is generally recommended as a minimum during the coldest periods, particularly for older homes with less wall insulation.
When a pipe does burst, the critical step is turning off the water supply immediately. Your main shutoff is typically in the utility room or mechanical room near where the city supply line enters the home. Every adult in the household should know where this is before an emergency happens. Once the supply is off, open faucets at the lowest point in the system to drain as much residual water as possible. Then call a plumber for the repair and a water damage restoration company for the cleanup.
The water damage from a burst pipe follows gravity — straight down through floor assemblies, into basement spaces, and along wall cavities. Even a relatively brief pipe failure can saturate multiple floors. Thermal imaging is essential for mapping the full extent of this migration, because water that has entered a wall cavity or subfloor assembly isn't visible from the surface. Our team uses thermal cameras on every burst pipe job to ensure the full scope is identified before drying equipment is placed. Getting this mapping right is what prevents the mold problem that would otherwise show up months later.