If your furnace dies in a Winnipeg winter, the first job isn’t selling the house. It’s protecting the plumbing. Call Manitoba Hydro, because for gas furnaces they offer a no-charge labour service on gas-supply and combustion problems. If you can’t keep the heat on, shut off the water and drain the lines. Once the house is safe, you can decide whether to repair the furnace or sell as-is. A house that freezes can go from a furnace problem to a full replumb in a single cold snap. I’ve bought one that did.
What Happens to a Winnipeg House With No Heat
Winnipeg’s January averages around minus 16 degrees Celsius, and in a bad cold snap it can feel like minus 40. Water in an unheated house will freeze, and frozen water splits pipes. The damage usually shows up later: when the heat or water comes back on, the cracked lines start leaking all at once, inside walls, ceilings and floors.
Frozen pipes are a citywide problem here, not just an empty-house problem. In the winter of 2013 to 2014, which the City called the coldest since 1898, frost reached about 8 to 9 feet below the pavement and the City received 2,596 reports of frozen pipes.
A Real Example: A House in River Park South
In the spring of 2024 we bought a house in River Park South that had been without heat for close to three years. We bought it sight unseen. The seller had been the executor of an estate. When the estate closed in 2021, the house transferred into her own name, but she wasn’t able to keep up with it. It was a hoarder house, and it slowly fell into disrepair.
One winter the heat wasn’t turned on, and the pipes froze throughout the house. When the water was turned back on, the pipes burst and damaged everything they ran through. By the time we bought it, the gas had been shut off completely because the house was vacant, and the power was on a load limiter, enough for some lights but not full service. There was no heat at all. Because she told us it had gone that long without heat, we already knew we would find burst pipes. In a Winnipeg winter, it’s inevitable. We replumbed the entire house.
The lesson I’d pass on: a broken furnace in October is a repair bill. A broken furnace left alone until January can be a whole-house plumbing job. If the house is also full of belongings, our guide to selling a hoarder house in Winnipeg covers that side.
What to Do the Day Your Furnace Dies
Call Manitoba Hydro first
If you heat with natural gas, Manitoba Hydro offers a no-charge labour service to residential natural gas customers for problems with their primary heating appliance. Repairs related to the gas supply and combustion are done at no labour charge. Replacement parts are billed to your monthly gas bill. Problems unrelated to gas and combustion, such as fan motors, fan belts or heat exchangers, go to a licensed heating contractor instead. Manitoba Hydro’s line is 1-888-624-9376, and it is answered 24 hours a day.
If you smell gas, leave the house first and call from outside. Never heat your home with a barbecue, camp stove, propane heater or generator. Those are carbon monoxide risks.
Protect the plumbing if the heat stays off
If the furnace can’t be fixed quickly, shut off the main water valve, usually near your water meter, and drain the lines by opening the taps at the lowest points of the house. Don’t try to thaw frozen pipes with a torch or an open-flame heater. If the frozen section is on the City’s side, call 311.
Tell your insurer
Most home policies require you to keep the heat on or drain the plumbing when you’re away during the heating season. The Insurance Bureau of Canada notes that if you’re gone more than four days, you generally need to drain the system or have someone check the house regularly. Most policies also exclude frozen pipes and water damage in a vacant home. Call your broker the same day so you know where you stand.
Paying for a Repair or a New Furnace
A replacement is not always a simple swap. Federal efficiency rules require new gas furnaces to be high-efficiency models, so an old mid-efficiency unit can’t be replaced like for like. One Winnipeg price guide puts a high-efficiency furnace at about $4,500 to $5,500 installed. Get at least three quotes, because ductwork, venting and electrical work can change the price.
There are a few programs worth knowing about:
- Manitoba Hydro’s Home Energy Efficiency Loan can finance a gas furnace up to $7,500 over 15 years, repaid on your energy bill. It must be approved before the work starts, so it rarely helps in a true emergency. The loan also becomes due when the house is sold.
- Neighbours Helping Neighbours, run by The Salvation Army for Manitoba Hydro customers, offers a one-time grant of up to $400 toward a gas-heated home’s bill for households at least 60 days behind that meet the income limits. Call 204-949-2106.
If you rent the house out, the furnace is also a legal obligation. Manitoba’s Residential Tenancies Branch requires landlords to keep rental units at least 21 degrees Celsius from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 18.3 degrees overnight, and to keep the heating equipment serviced.
Can You Sell a House With No Heat?
Yes. A house with no heat, a dead furnace or burst pipes can still be sold. The question is who it sells to. Many buyers using a mortgage will walk away from a house without working heat, and a house that froze needs serious work before most people can live in it. Our guide to selling a house with water damage in Winnipeg covers what burst pipes do to a sale.
A cash buyer can take it as it is. In River Park South we knew going in that the plumbing would need to be redone, and we priced that in. We buy houses with frozen and burst pipes, in winter or spring.
If the house is empty, the risks grow every week it sits. Our guide to selling a vacant house in Winnipeg covers the insurance and upkeep side. For timing, see whether it makes sense to sell in winter or wait for summer. And if the repair is more than you want to take on, you can get a free cash offer and compare it with the cost of fixing the house first.
This article is general information, not insurance, legal or technical advice. Program terms change, so confirm details with Manitoba Hydro, your insurer and a licensed heating contractor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Manitoba Hydro fix my gas furnace?
Manitoba Hydro offers a no-charge labour service to residential natural gas customers for problems with the gas supply and combustion on primary heating appliances. Replacement parts are added to your gas bill. Problems such as fan motors, belts or heat exchangers need a licensed heating contractor. Call 1-888-624-9376, which is answered 24 hours a day.
What should I do if my furnace stops working in winter?
Call Manitoba Hydro or a licensed heating contractor right away. If the heat can’t be restored quickly, shut off the main water valve and drain the lines so the pipes can’t freeze and burst. Never use a barbecue, camp stove or propane heater indoors, and let your insurer know the situation.
Does insurance cover frozen pipes if the furnace stopped?
It depends on your policy. Coverage generally requires reasonable steps to keep the heat on, and most policies exclude frozen pipes and water damage in a vacant home. If you are away for more than a few days in winter, you usually need to drain the plumbing or have the house checked regularly.
How much does a new furnace cost in Winnipeg?
One Winnipeg price guide puts a high-efficiency gas furnace at roughly $4,500 to $5,500 installed, and ductwork, venting or electrical changes can add to that. New gas furnaces must meet federal high-efficiency standards, so get at least three quotes from licensed contractors before you decide.
Can I sell my house if the pipes have already burst?
Yes. A house with burst pipes and no working heat can still be sold, though many mortgaged buyers will pass on it. A cash buyer can buy it as-is and handle the replumbing after closing. Shut off the water first so the damage doesn’t spread while you decide.
Written by Renz Javing, owner of We Buy Houses Winnipeg, a BBB-accredited local cash home buyer with a 4.8-star rating from 89 Google reviews.
