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Most frozen pipes aren't in the middle of the house. They run along an outside wall, under a bay window, or through a garage or crawlspace where the temperature drops far below the rest of the home.

Before the cold arrives

• Disconnect garden hoses and shut the indoor valve that feeds each outdoor tap.
• Wrap exposed pipes in unheated spaces with foam insulation sleeves.
• Seal drafts where pipes pass through the rim joist.

On nights below about −25 °C

• Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
• Let a thin stream run from the tap farthest from the main valve.
• Keep the thermostat steady overnight, including when you travel.

If a tap only trickles or gives nothing, a pipe has likely frozen. Leave that tap open, keep any open flame away, and call a plumber before it splits.

During heavy rain or spring melt, the city sewer can fill faster than it drains. Without protection, that water can push back up through your basement floor drain.

A backwater valve is a one-way flap in your main sewer line. Wastewater leaves the house, but sewer water can't come back in. It's usually paired with a sump pit so water from around the foundation has somewhere to go.

Installation means opening the basement floor, so it needs a licensed plumber and a permit. Ask your plumber whether any current City of Winnipeg flood-protection programs apply to your home before you book.

Winnipeg's incoming water is very cold in winter, so any heater has to raise it further than in milder cities. That matters most for tankless units, which heat water as it flows.

• Tank: lower upfront cost and simpler to replace like-for-like. Expect roughly 10–12 years of life.
• Tankless: endless hot water and less space, but it must be sized for winter water temperatures and often needs a larger gas line.

If your tank is over 10 years old and has rust at the base or drips from the relief valve, plan the replacement before it fails.