Vancouver plumber sees uptick in calls during cold weather blast

Jared Bernstein’s phones have been ringing off the hook this week, with calls for his Peachy Plumbing services.

The company co-owner says when temperatures dip below -5 C, pipes in Vancouver homes begin to freeze up and the demand for his services skyrocket.

“We have been quite busy this week due to the low temperatures,” Bernstein said.

Bernstein says most homes in Vancouver were not built to withstand the freezing temperatures blown in this week by an arctic outflow system — especially the older, less insulated houses.

This week Peachy Plumbing received about 10 to 20 calls, which is double what it usually gets, he says.

On Friday, a pipe in the Vancouver airport’s domestic terminal “malfunctioned,” causing water to flood into the airport near one of its gates. While it’s unclear what caused the pipe to burst, it came in the midst of the arctic air influx.

Similarly, both the Evelyn Saller Centre in Vancouver and the emergency room at Mission Memorial Hospital had to shut their doors Saturday night after burst pipes flooded both essential infrastructures.

To prevent this damage, Bernstein says he recommends installing a system that can switch on automatically to exposed heat pipes when temperatures drop. Installing shut off valves on hose bibs or exterior piping could also help, he adds, by allowing people access to these systems from inside their homes.

One of the worst case scenarios Bernstein has been dealing with this week is frosty sewage pipes, he says.

“As you can imagine, you have quite a gross situation going on when you have someone who can’t flush their toilets due to the clogged drainage,” he said.

Moving further into winter, Bernstein says homeowners should make sure they know where the water shut off for their home is so if they do find a link, they can turn the water off and call a plumber right away.

Building codes dictate the level of insulation required for piping used in systems such as heating and cooling, or sewage. But Bernstein says building codes around Vancouver may need a refresh to better prepare for temperatures like those experienced this week.

“The city should change the building code to require more insulation for any type of piping that’s exposed or on the exterior of your house.”

-With files from David Nadalini