Water & plumbing
Frozen pipes, slow leaks, the main shut-off, the sump pump: what runs quietly when nobody’s home, and what to do about it.
- Frozen pipe at the cottage: what to do in the first hour
A frozen pipe at an Eastern Townships cottage: what to do in the first hour, how to thaw without a flame, and when to call an RBQ-licensed plumber.
- How long can a slow leak run at the cottage before anyone sees it?
A slow leak at a cottage can run for a long time without a visible sign. How to catch one at the water meter, and who to call to fix it.
- Sump pump: test it before winter and before the spring thaw
How to test a cottage sump pump before winter and before snowmelt, what an owner can check, and what belongs to a licensed plumber.
- Water damage at the cottage when you arrive: the first 10 things to do
You walk into the cottage and there’s water: shut it off, kill power if safe, take photos, call your insurer and an RBQ-licensed plumber.
- Draining your cottage plumbing for winter, step by step
The steps for draining a cottage’s plumbing before closing it for winter, in order, with the ones you can do and the ones to leave to a plumber.
- Burst pipes: why the damage shows up at the thaw, not the freeze
A pipe often splits during the cold, but water only runs once it warms up. The mechanics in plain language, and what to do when a thaw follows a cold snap.
- Plumbing antifreeze: where it goes (traps, toilets, drains)
Which antifreeze to use when closing a cottage for winter, where to pour it — traps, toilets, floor drains — and where it should never go.
- Shutting the water off when you leave: is closing the main valve enough?
Closing the main shut-off when you leave the cottage limits water damage, but doesn’t prevent it. What the valve does, what it doesn’t, and what to add.