Attempts to thaw frozen pipes result in two fires

Homes sustain $160K in damage over deep-freeze weekend, authorities warn homeowners to never use open flames when tackling icy plumbing

Two Hamilton homeowners accidentally set their houses on fire on the weekend while trying to thaw frozen water pipes.

No one was injured in either case, but the two blazes combined caused more than $160,000 in damage and left residents scrambling to find temporary accommodations over a frigid weekend that reached a low of -23 C Sunday.

The incidents prompted the fire department to issue a warning Monday and a list of tips to safely deal with frozen pipes — a problem that plagued at least two dozen city residents over the holiday weekend.

Firefighters spent two hours Sunday dousing a smouldering blaze inside the basement walls of a Holton Avenue South home after the owner tried to thaw frozen pipes with a propane torch, said platoon chief Dan Milovanovic.

Milovanovic said using any sort of open flame to thaw frozen pipes is “incredibly risky” — but also not uncommon. “We see it from time to time … The message here is it’s not worth it,” he said.

Then early Monday, firefighters responded to a garage on fire on Magnolia Drive, on the west Mountain, that was likely caused by space heaters left on to thaw pipes.

The fire department warning emphasized open flames should never be used to thaw pipes and the use of electrical equipment like arc welders that aren’t certified to do the job is also risky.

If you don’t want to hire a contractor to fix the problem, the department recommends using a hair dryer, small heaters, hot water bottles or towels to thaw frozen pipes in uninsulated areas.

You can also avoid freezing from the get-go by insulating walls or running a trickle of water through your pipes during a deep freeze.

Last year, hundreds of homeowners struggled with frozen pipes and water service lines during a record February deep freeze.

The crisis prompted the city to contract out $4 million for thawing of frozen water lines and even begin delivering emergency water jugs to residents.

A mostly mild winter this year briefly transformed into a weekend of extreme cold alerts from the public health department. Temperatures began bouncing back up Monday.

But over two days, city crews responded to five significant water main breaks and residents reported at least two dozen frozen water service pipes.

Most of those frozen pipes are in uninsulated walls, rather than in the ground, said Hamilton water director Dan McKinnon, because the frost is not yet deep enough to cause widespread problems for buried residential service lines.