Frozen pipes: keeping them from bursting, and what to do if one does

The pipes most likely to freeze run near outside walls, in crawl spaces or in the attic.¹ Water lines in outbuildings with no heat can freeze too.²

University of Illinois Extension's steps:¹

• Insulate the pipes most at risk, with insulation made for pipes, or wrap them with UL-approved heat tape.
• Seal leaks that let cold air in where pipes run.
• Disconnect garden hoses, then shut off and drain the pipes to outside faucets.

• Keep the heat on, set no lower than 55 degrees.¹
• Open the cabinet doors under sinks so warm air reaches the pipes.^1-2
• On the coldest nights, Illinois Extension suggests letting hot and cold water trickle from a faucet on an outside wall.¹ Missouri Extension's fire safety expert advises against running water, since it can strain a public water system's pressure and the water kept for firefighting, and puts insulation and heat first.² Ask your water utility which it prefers.
• If you'll be away, have someone check daily that the heat is still on, or drain and shut off the water system, except an indoor fire sprinkler system.¹

• Know where the main shutoff is before you start, in case the pipe has burst.¹
• Open the faucet on that line to relieve the pressure.²
• Thaw it slowly, with a hair dryer or a light bulb. Never use an open flame or a torch, and keep kerosene and propane heaters away, since they heat too fast, can break the pipe and can start a fire. Take extra care with plastic pipe.^1-2
• Check the other faucets, since more than one pipe may have frozen, and watch for leaks once a pipe thaws: one that was frozen for hours may have cracked.²

Shut off the water at the main to stop the flow, then call a plumber and your insurance agent. Be careful of electric shock in and around standing water.¹ What to do in the first hours after water or sewage gets in has the safety steps for the power and the rest of the house.

The plumber fixes the pipe. Taking out the water and drying the house is a separate job for a restoration company. A typical water damage cleanup runs $1,200 to $6,000 by published national ranges.^3-7 That range isn't a quote. What water damage cleanup costs breaks it down by the square foot and the kind of water.