When temperatures plunge, unprotected pipes can freeze and burst overnight. A handful of cheap precautions before the first deep freeze can save you a flooded basement in January.
Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses before the first hard frost, and shut off any exterior hose bibs from inside if yours have a separate valve. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air can reach the pipes, and let a faucet drip slightly on the coldest nights — moving water is much less likely to freeze. If you'll be away for more than a day or two in winter, don't drop the thermostat below about 13°C, and know where your main shutoff is in case something does go wrong while you're out. If a pipe does freeze, turn off the water supply before it thaws and call us rather than waiting to see if it bursts.
A tankless water heater heats water on demand instead of storing a tank of hot water, which means it takes up less space and won't run out mid-shower — but it also costs more upfront and isn't automatically the right call for every home.
A standard tank is usually the simpler, cheaper option to install and service, and it's a reasonable fit for most households. Tankless makes more sense if you're short on space, have high simultaneous hot-water demand, or are already replacing a failed unit and want the long-term efficiency gain. Either way, the install needs to be sized correctly for your home's fixture count and gas or electrical supply — an undersized unit will leave you with lukewarm water no matter which type you choose.
Slow drains and gurgling toilets aren't just annoying — they can signal a developing problem in your main sewer line. Catching it early is almost always cheaper than dealing with a full backup.
Call or text and we'll tell you straight whether it's a quick fix or a bigger job.
