Skip to main content

Thousands of inexperienced new homeowners and plunging temperatures has Toronto plumber worried

By: Get News

Toronto, ON – November 12, 2021 – Toronto’s red hot housing market means that thousands of homeowners are about to experience their first winter in their own house. While most new homeowners focus on home design, paint colours, and style of furnishings, plumbing experts are finding one big knowledge gap – a lack of understanding of what it takes to prepare a home to face a Toronto winter.

“We’re seeing so many clients who have only ever lived in apartments or condos. They’ve never had to do any maintenance or winterization before,” explains Vlad Bartkov, a licensed master plumber and owner of Toronto-based Mister Plumber. “This year, many have decided to take the plunge and purchase their first home in Toronto but as we all know, affordability is a significant challenge in the GTA, and that has pushed many to buy older homes with more challenging plumbing systems.

The biggest risk Bartkov finds comes from outside garden hose pipes freezing and causing flooding and burst pipes. While most homeowners know that they should shut off the valve for the exterior spigot, Bartkov says many leave the garden hose connected to the outside spigot. Homeowners also don’t realize that they should be draining the water that might be present in between the exterior spigot and the interior shut-off valve. Even with the valve turned off, that little bit of residual water can freeze and burst a pipe.

“Some older houses in Toronto have water pipes that haven’t been upgraded to modern building codes for decades,” explains Bartkov. “They have water pipes that are installed inside a home’s exterior walls. These types of pipes freeze easily and have to be properly insulated to be protected. This isn’t a project for DIYers. According to current plumbing codes, insulation itself is not enough. Pipes have to be kept warm by heated air. The insulation must be installed between the pipes and the outside wall, but not between the pipe and the home’s drywall. Toronto homeowners have paid a lot of money for their homes. Contacting a licensed plumber now and preventing these issues is the best way to prevent major expenses down the road.”

To help Toronto homeowners prepare their homes for winter, Bartkov includes dozens of detailed articles on his website and on the Mister Plumber social media accounts.

“We’ve been working in Toronto for more than 15 years. In that time we’ve helped more than 18,000 clients and we’ve laid more than 54,000 feet of pipes, and we’re been to more emergency call-outs for clogged drains and frozen pipes than we can count,” says Bartkov. “We know exactly what homeowners are up against in this city. We want them to enjoy being homeowners and not get overwhelmed by unexpected emergencies and plumbing repairs. That’s why educating homeowners is so important to us.”

For information about winterization, answers to frequently asked questions about plumbing and drains, and for information about the City of Toronto’s plumbing upgrade grants for homeowners, visit www.misterplumber.ca

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact below.

Media Contact
Company Name: Mister Plumber
Contact Person: Vlad Bartkov
Email: Send Email
Phone: 416-939-1530
Country: Canada
Website: https://www.misterplumber.ca

Data & News supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Stock quotes supplied by Barchart
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.