Freezing pipes a concern for some mini homes on P.E.I.

As freezing temperatures continue across the Island, some people living in older mini homes on P.E.I. say their pipes are more susceptible to freezing.

Jamie Clements, whoowns a mini homein Wellington, P.E.I., said frozen pipes are a common occurrence in olderhouseswhen cold air gets through the insulation or skirting surrounding the bottom of the home.

In a private Facebook message, Clementssaid his mother also owns an older mini home in Summerside, P.E.I., and that she hasstruggled with frozen pipesmultiple times over the years. He added that he has to takeseveral preventative measures to ensure the pipes are warm enough to keep water flowing.

"I go underneathand thaw with heat," Clements said. "I turn the heat wide open and open faucets and use a heat gun."

He added that he has also wrapped the pipes with heat tape and reinforced the insulation surrounding the pipes to try to prevent them from freezing in the future.

Protect pipes from wind

Mark Maharis a former plumber who now builds tiny homes on P.E.I.He said he responded to many situations of frozen pipes in mini homes while he was a plumber and that many weretheresult of a lack of insulation that exposes pipes towind and cold temperatures.

"It's a pretty common problem in older mini homes," Maharsaid. "I actually lived in one myself, where I was underneath it during the winter and it's definitely not the best position to be in."

He added that many older mini homes with poor insulation become more susceptibleto blowing winds, which can make pipes freeze quickly.

"It's all about how insulated you are, and how covered your pipes are," hesaid. "Once that wind starts blowing in, that's when it really, really freezes."

Preventing frozen pipes

Maharsaid the best way for owners of older mini homes to prevent their pipes from freezing is to re-insulate the area underneath their home wherepipes are located and ensure that the skirting around the base of the home is sealed from the wind.

"I re-insulated the whole bottom of my mini home," he said. "But even if you went in and just insulated where the pipes are and make sure the pipes aren't exposed to the elements then they shouldn't freeze up."

Maharadded that trying to keep the area surrounding pipes as warm as possible is another good strategy to prevent freezing. He said increasing the heat in the mini home and diverting that heat to the home's mechanical room can help keep water flowing through the pipes.

"Open the mechanical room where your pressure tank and your hot water heater is and make sure you pump the heat to that area," he explained. "You'll be wasting a little bit of oil heating underneath your trailer but it will stop it from actually freezing."

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