While you wait for us
Shut off the main water valve if you can find it. A frozen pipe may already be split, and the leak only starts once it thaws. Open the faucet that stopped running so the water has somewhere to go when it starts moving again.
Never use a torch or an open flame: the pipe may thaw, but the surrounding materials can catch fire. A hair dryer can be used on a pipe that is clearly visible and accessible. For a pipe hidden in a wall or under the house, we recommend leaving the thawing to us.
Finding where it froze
The most common locations are a poorly insulated exterior wall, a crawl space, the point where the water line enters the basement, and the line from the well. In a cottage, plumbing in unheated rooms is also at risk.
Once it's thawed, we check the pipe didn't split before putting the whole system back under pressure. When the buried line freezes, the work is different: it sometimes needs to be relaid deeper or better protected. This excavation work is carried out with our own excavator.
Heat cable, in the right places
A pipe that freezes one winter will probably freeze the next. Heat cable runs along the pipe and keeps it above freezing. For a water entry or an exposed section, it's often the simplest fix.
It must be installed correctly: cable designed for pipes, installed according to the manufacturer's instructions and properly connected. Poorly installed cable can overheat or fail when it is needed most. We assess whether heat cable is the right solution, or insulation, or both.
Cottages: prevention in the fall
A cottage shut down for winter with no heat has to be drained properly. A line that still holds water or a forgotten trap can cause damage that is only discovered in spring. If the cottage stays lightly heated, heat cable on the critical spots provides a safety margin.
If the pump or the well line is also causing problems, see our wells and pumps page. For an emergency at night, see our 24/7 emergency page.
