Freeze-Up Prevention: Keeping Pumps & Lines Moving Below -20°C
- Lincoln Jones
- Oct 27
- 2 min read
When temperatures drop, water becomes your most unpredictable crew member. It expands, freezes, and shuts down progress faster than any missed delivery.
At Academy Water, we’ve spent decades keeping systems running through Western Canada’s harshest winters. Freeze protection isn’t just about adding heat—it’s about planning, discipline, and experience. Here’s how we keep pumps and lines flowing when the mercury plunges below -20°C.
1. Build the System Right the First Time
Freeze protection starts long before the first cold snap. The design phase sets the tone for success.
Keep suction lines short and sloped. Standing water in flat runs is the first thing to freeze.
Use proper hose and pipe materials. Reinforced rubber and HDPE can flex under temperature swings without cracking.
Plan for drainage. Every low point in your system should have a way to drain at shutdown.
Tip: Avoid 90° fittings whenever possible—they’re the coldest points and trap ice faster than straight runs.
2. Add Heat Where It Matters
Heat tracing isn’t about wrapping every pipe—it’s about knowing where the weak spots are.
Focus on suction headers, manifolds, valves, and discharge starts. These are the freeze points.
Use thermostat-controlled heat trace, not always-on wraps, to prevent overheating or burnout.
Insulate well, but not blindly—poor insulation traps moisture that turns to ice.
Tip: Install temperature sensors at the furthest points of your system. You can’t protect what you can’t monitor.
3. Protect Your Pumps
Pumps are your system’s heartbeat—and they hate freezing temps.
Run them regularly. Circulating water stays above freezing longer than standing water.
Cover open ends. Every intake, discharge, or flange should be sealed or capped overnight.
Keep fuel systems warm. Diesel thickens in cold weather—use winter-blend fuel or additives early.
Tip: A simple tarp and plywood box can save a pump from a $5,000 rebuild.
4. Manage Power and Monitoring
When winter hits, everything slows down except problems. A smart monitoring setup prevents surprises.
Use remote telemetry or text alerts to catch flow loss before lines freeze solid.
Keep backup generators and fuel accessible—snowed-in sites can’t wait for a tow.
Always test alarms and backups before the first cold week.
Tip: Assign one person to perform night checks during extreme cold. Most freeze-ups happen between 2–6 a.m.
5. Train and Inspect Daily
Even the best setup fails without good habits. Crews that follow a daily freeze checklist catch problems early.
Drain low points every evening.
Verify suction lines are clear.
Check discharge ends for icing.
Keep spare hoses, heat trace, and fittings on site.
Tip: Routine beats reaction—freeze prevention is won (or lost) in daily inspections, not emergency calls.
Final Word
Cold weather isn’t an excuse for downtime—it’s a test of preparation. At Academy Water, we treat freeze prevention as part of system design, not an afterthought.
When temperatures drop, our systems keep flowing because they’re built to.
Plan with us. Book a preliminary water plan review at academywater.ca
📞 Call: 403-837-2983📧 Email: info@academywater.ca
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