Winnipeg, MB - Today, City Council approved a motion from Executive Policy Committee to reimburse property owners who paid the City’s $305 fee for thawing frozen lines on private property.
In addition, property owners who hired private contractors to do the work will be reimbursed, to a maximum of $305, as determined by the invoice accompanying the property owner’s claim. Council approved that both of these provisions will be retroactive to December 1, 2013.
The City of Winnipeg recommends that, similar to any time they are hiring contractors, property owners consider the following recommendations if hiring a plumber to thaw a water pipe.
In a number of recent cases where the City attended to attempt a thaw, they discovered that a contractor who had been unsuccessful in thawing a private water pipe made matters more complicated by leaving equipment stuck in the water pipe. Such action may delay or even prevent a successful thaw, and could cause damage to the water pipe.
To help prevent problems like this we urge citizens to:
- Get estimates from more than one source.
- Ask for references and check them out.
- Check with the Better Business Bureau for a reliability report.
- Make sure to get a proper written contract before the work begins. A proper contract:
- spells out what work is to be done, when and how much it will cost,
- includes a clear warranty on the work being done,
- includes proof that the contractor has up-to-date workers' compensation coverage and liability insurance.
- Get details of warranties or guarantees, agreements about contractor cleanup during the work and on completion, and details of the homeowner's responsibilities.
- Ensure that the plumber contacts 311 to makes arrangements with the City of Winnipeg Water and Waste Department employee to:
- attend to control the flow of water at the shut-off valve before the plumber begins any work, and
- authorize the temporary removal of the water meter for the purposes of thawing. The water meter is the property of the City of Winnipeg and City staff must reseal the meter after the plumber is finished the work. Property owners are responsible for any damage to the water meter or for the cost to replace a water meter that has been damaged and is no longer accurately reading the water flow.
For more information on:
- consumer rights and responsibilities, please visit https://gov.mb.ca/cca/cpo/consumerrights.html
- tips for getting a contract in writing, http://www.chba.ca/renovation-roadmap/get-it-in-writing.aspx
This winter there has been a sudden and dramatic increase in frozen water pipes due to prolonged periods of frigid temperatures and deeper-than-usual frost penetration into the ground. This is the second coldest winter in 75 years and the frost is currently at an average of about seven to eight feet deep below pavement surfaces.
For more information about frozen pipes, please visit winnipeg.ca/frozenpipes