Frozen Pipe Prevention and Repair Services
The extreme cold combined with wind chill creates a substantial risk for frozen or burst pipes. Freezing water turns to ice within the pipe, which in turn can expand and block the line. This blockage can create excessive pressure throughout the system and cause pipe failure in vulnerable places—no matter if the pipe is made of plastic, copper or steel. Even a tiny crack can unleash more than 250 gallons of water in a single day. The results of frozen water pipes can cause property damage and high repair costs.
Follow these plumbing tips to help minimize the risk of freezing pipes, and to help prevent damage and expensive repairs.
If You Have Frozen Pipes
- Shut off the water main leading into the structure to reduce pressure on frozen pipes and minimize flooding if the pipes burst.
- Use a hair dryer to thaw the ice blockage if the frozen pipe is exposed and visible. (Do not use an open flame to thaw!) If frozen pipes are not visible, call in the experts at Roto-Rooter.
- If you notice slower water flow and expect frozen pipes, you should call a plumber immediately. Typically, issues like this can be resolved before any damage occurs.
If you experience frozen water pipes, contact our Roto-Rooter plumbing experts, who use professional pipe-thawing equipment. Call 1-800-768-6911 or schedule an appointment online. Roto-Rooter provides complete basement plumbing services – including water leak service and laundry room maintenance. And, our water cleanup team can also remove water and dry your home professionally in the event of a burst or leaking pipe.
*All services not available from all locations.
Prevention Tips for Frozen Pipes
- Open cabinet doors under sinks and in storage areas to allow heat from the room to circulate around uninsulated pipes. Allow a trickle of hot and cold water to drip overnight; however, be careful not to run the water into a drain line that is exposed to the extreme cold because that line might freeze.
- Insulate all pipes in unheated areas or against uninsulated outside walls, in garages and in crawl spaces. Apply heat tape or thermostat-controlled heat cables around pipes that are exposed and prone to freezing.
- Make sure the heat is turned on in the building and is set no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Check out our frozen pipe graphic
Plumbing and Repair Services List
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800-768-6911
Frequently Asked Questions
How to prevent frozen pipes
Keep exposed water supply pipes warm by wrapping them with foam pipe insulation sleeves. Use temperature-controlled heat tape on the most vulnerable pipes. Disconnect outside water hoses and cover outdoor faucets with foam insulation kits to prevent them from freezing and damaging indoor water supply pipes. Open cabinet doors beneath sinks to allow warm air to circulate around pipes. Allow water to trickle from faucets when temperatures drop well below freezing. Keep furnace on and set no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit, but preferably warmer.
What to do when water pipes freeze and/or burst?
If a water pipe has burst, turn off the main water supply valve and open connecting faucets to relieve pressure and minimize water damage. Call a plumber to repair the damaged pipes. Call a professional water damage cleanup company if water has soaked carpets, flooring and walls.
If a water pipe has frozen but hasn’t burst, use a hair dryer to blow warm air onto the pipe. Move it back and forth to warm as much of the pipe as you can reach. Point a space heater at the pipe or the wall containing the frozen pipe. Never use an open flame to heat a pipe! If necessary, call a plumber to thaw your pipe with professional pipe thawing equipment.
What are the symptoms of a frozen pipe?
The most common way to know your pipes have frozen is if you turn on a faucet and no water comes out, or water comes out slowly or in a halting manner. Sometimes frozen pipes will exhibit a frosty appearance, but most often they look the same as an unfrozen pipe.
Our basement sprung a leak from a frozen pipe, and the tech was out here within 2 hours to start mitigation. Late at night, within 2 hours made a world ... of difference for us as we caught it quick and the work started just as quick. The two men we worked with over the course of the week were absolutely fantastic. We cannot say enough how awesome they both were in everything they did for us. They were extremely nice, and talked us through each step extremely thoroughly even though I felt like we were burdening him with questions. Helping with insurance claims was just icing on the cake. Roto-Rooter has literally secured any business we need that they can provide from here on out because of the service we received. If you need plumbing or water restoration work, don't hesitate here, these two will get you back to normal living and explain how in perfect sense. They really helped us calm down as this was our first experience with home damage. Thank you!
There was a frozen water pipe at my home over the weekend. Not only did they help me to perform initial repairs myself (containing the problem), but they also ... came out twice to solve the problem. The technician was extremely helpful and pleasant and made the stress of the situation much more manageable. If I have a problem in the future, I will definitely reach out to the Roto-Rooter team.
Fast and excellent service today! I had been without water due to a frozen pipes, and the technicians arrived quickly, got the correct parts, and restored my water within a ... couple hours. Thank you!