Pipes freeze where cold air reaches them — exterior walls, crawl spaces, garages, and unheated additions. During a hard snap, let faucets drip, open sink cabinets, and know where your main shutoff is. If a pipe freezes, thaw it gently with a hair dryer, never a torch — and watch for the leak when it thaws.
Where pipes actually freeze
Not the middle of the house — the edges. The repeat offenders we see every January:
- Pipes in exterior walls, especially kitchen and bath runs
- Crawl spaces and unheated basements at the rim joist
- Garage walls and ceilings with a bathroom above
- Outdoor hose bibs with the hose still attached
- Attic and unheated addition runs — common in the older homes around here that grew an addition at a time
When a snap is coming — the 10-minute version
- Let faucets drip on the vulnerable lines — moving water resists freezing, and the drip relieves pressure if ice forms
- Open sink cabinets on exterior walls so room heat reaches the pipes
- Disconnect hoses and shut off interior valves to outdoor spigots if you have them
- Keep the heat at a real temperature — do not drop to 55 overnight during single-digit cold
- Know your main shutoff — find it now, not while water is coming through the ceiling
If a pipe freezes
Open the faucet the line feeds, then warm the frozen section gently — hair dryer, heating pad, or warm towels, working from the faucet back toward the ice. Never a torch or open flame — that is how houses burn down in January, and how a frozen pipe becomes a burst one.
The part people miss
A frozen pipe often splits quietly. It holds while it is frozen and lets go when it thaws — which is why the leak shows up an hour after things warm up, or the next day. When you thaw a line, stay nearby and watch for drips, hissing, or a spinning water meter.
Shut the main, then call or text (267) 227-8115. A burst line dumps dozens of gallons an hour — every minute of water is damage you will pay for twice.