Winter guide
Frozen pipes: what to do, and what never to do
Western Kansas winters find every uninsulated pipe you own. A frozen line is fixable. A frozen line that bursts while you are at work is a different afternoon entirely.
- How to thaw safely
- What never to use
- Signs a pipe already burst
- Preventing it next time
The short version
Start here
Work down the list. Most situations are answered in the first two rows.
Open the faucet first
Open the tap the frozen line feeds before you start thawing. It gives melting water somewhere to go and relieves pressure.
Do this
Apply gentle heat
A hair dryer, a heat lamp, warm towels, or a space heater kept at a safe distance. Start near the faucet and work back.
Safe methods
Never use open flame
No torch, no propane heater aimed at pipe. It is a fire risk and it can heat one spot fast enough to burst the pipe.
Critical
Keep the cabinet open
Open the vanity or sink cabinet so household heat reaches the supply lines behind it.
Helps
If it will not thaw
A line you cannot reach, or one that will not open after an hour of gentle heat, is worth a call before it becomes a burst.
Call
General guidance for Hays-area homes. Every house is different — call if you are unsure.
Detail
Signs a pipe has already burst
No water from a fixture in freezing weather
The most common first sign. Either it is still frozen, or it froze, split, and is now draining somewhere else.
Water where it should not be
Ceiling stains, damp drywall, or water appearing in a basement during a cold snap.
Unusual sounds
Banging, whistling or hissing when you open a tap can mean air and water moving through a break.
A running meter with taps closed
Water is leaving the system somewhere. In winter, that somewhere is often a split line in a crawlspace.
Bulging or frost on visible pipe
A visibly deformed section has already split, and it will release as soon as it thaws.
Damp or musty smell
Water in a wall or crawlspace makes itself known before it makes itself visible.
The honest answer
Keeping it from happening again
Most frozen pipe calls we get are the same few vulnerable spots, year after year.
Insulate supply lines in crawlspaces, unheated basements, garages and along exterior walls — foam sleeves are cheap and go on in an afternoon. Disconnect garden hoses before the first freeze, because a connected hose holds water at the hose bib and that is one of the most common burst points in this climate. On the coldest nights, let a faucet on an exterior wall drip; moving water is far harder to freeze. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so heat reaches them. And if you leave town in winter, do not set the thermostat below the mid-fifties, or better, shut the water off at the main and drain the lines.
Common questions
What homeowners ask us
How do I thaw a frozen pipe safely?
Open the faucet it feeds, then apply gentle heat with a hair dryer or heat lamp starting near the faucet and working back toward the frozen section.
What should I never do to thaw a pipe?
Never use an open flame or a torch. It is a serious fire risk, and heating one spot rapidly can burst the pipe you are trying to save.
How do I know if a pipe burst?
No water from a fixture during a freeze, water appearing where it should not, a water meter that runs with all taps closed, or a visibly bulging section of pipe.
Which pipes freeze first in Hays homes?
Lines in crawlspaces, unheated basements and garages, anything running along an exterior wall, and hose bibs with a hose still attached.
Should I leave a faucet dripping?
On the coldest nights, yes, particularly on a fixture served by pipe along an exterior wall. Moving water is much harder to freeze.
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Related: emergency plumber, shutting off your water, leak detection, repiping, signs you need a plumber
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