Signs of Frozen Pipes: How to Spot Them Quickly
Don’t let a winter wonderland turn into a plumbing nightmare
Highlights
If little to no water comes out of your faucet, ice could be in your pipes.
Look for cracks, bulges, frost, and condensation on the outside of your pipes.
Listen for odd noises such as gurgling and clanking.
Watch for signs of water damage, such as rings or puddles on your ceilings and walls.
Contact a local plumber immediately if you suspect frozen pipes.
When the temperature drops outside, or the power goes out in the winter, your pipes can freeze and burst, leaving you with expensive, messy water damage. But if you catch frozen pipes early, you can save your home from major flooding. Watch for these six signs of frozen pipes and contact a local plumber right away if you spot any of these issues. Even a small crack in a pipe can spray hundreds of gallons of water into your home.
When and Where Pipes Freeze
If temperatures fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours or longer, and your power is out, your pipes can freeze. Water pipes located in unheated areas are especially vulnerable, such as those in the attic, basement, garage, crawl space, or an exterior wall with minimal insulation. Because these pipes are exposed to colder air, they’re more likely to freeze.
6 Signs Your Water Pipes Are Frozen
1. Little to No Running Water
If you turn on your kitchen faucet or shower and only get a slow trickle or no water at all, it could mean that water is frozen in your pipes. The lack of water is often the first frozen pipe symptom that homeowners notice.
2. Crack or Bulge in Pipe
If you see a crack or bulge in a water pipe, especially if ice or water is leaking out, it’s a clear sign that a frozen pipe has burst. Water expands when it freezes, causing the pipe to crack. Contact a local plumber immediately if you notice a cracked or misshapen pipe.
3. Frost or Condensation on Pipes
If you spot frost or condensation accumulating on the outside of an exposed pipe, such as one in your basement, your pipes are likely frozen. Frost and condensation are visible frozen pipe symptoms that indicate your pipes are below the freezing point.
4. Strange Noises
Strange noises are a sure sign that something’s wrong and may indicate frozen pipes. If you hear whistling, gurgling, or banging coming from your water pipes, it could be a sign that ice is traveling through them. You might also hear bubbling noises when you flush a toilet.
5. Water Damage
If you spot signs of water damage in your home, frozen and burst pipes might be to blame. The cost to repair a burst pipe runs about $500 on average, but it’s a necessary expense to protect your home from major water damage. Some common symptoms of water damage include:
Puddles, rings, or water spots on your walls and ceilings.
Dampness on your walls.
Bubbling paint or wallpaper.
Musty, moldy odor.
Sound of rushing or running water.
Sagging or collapsing walls and ceiling.
6. Foul Odor
If you notice a foul scent coming out of your drain or faucet, it could be a sign of frozen pipes. When ice is in a water pipe, it blocks the odors from your food, waste, and grease that would otherwise drain out of your home. Instead, the odor comes back up the pipe and into the air. While there can be other culprits for foul odors coming from your pipes, if it’s winter, frozen pipes are likely to blame.
What to Do If You Suspect Frozen Pipes
You should always try to find frozen pipes in your home if you suspect this is the issue. But at what temperature do pipes freeze? It depends on a few factors, but generally, they'll freeze if temps hit 32 degrees or lower for prolonged periods of time. In many cases, you can unfreeze an exposed frozen pipe with a hair dryer. Never use an open flame to thaw pipes, as this can be seriously risky. It’s also not a great idea to use boiling water down your drain or on your pipes to thaw them, as this may make the issue worse.
If you’re worried the pipes are about to burst, or they already have, shut off the main water valve to your house immediately and contact a plumber. By halting the supply of water to your home, you can avert leaks and water damage until the plumber arrives. A plumber inspects your pipes for leaks and cracks and makes repairs before turning your water supply back on. The cost of a plumber is usually hundreds or thousands of dollars less than the cost of repairing water damage.
In some cases, failure to detect and repair frozen pipes can even damage your water heater, making it even more important to know the signs. Water heater replacement costs around $1,300 on average.
If you're away from your home for an extended period of time during cold months, consider draining your pipes and leaving your water valve off. Without a water supply, you can avoid frozen pipes and leaks while you're away.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
Knowing how to keep pipes from freezing is an easy preventative strategy that can save you on the cost of repairing or replacing pipes. The best part is you can do it yourself. Using the best pipe insulation materials can prevent your pipes from freezing and give you some peace of mind once temperatures plummet below freezing.
However, no plan is foolproof. If your pipes freeze, you can also learn how to thaw frozen pipes yourself before hiring a pro. But if your frozen pipes burst, your first course of action should be to contact a local plumber.
You can still take some steps yourself to handle a burst pipe, including the following:
Find the burst pipe.
Shut off the main water valve.
Shut off the breaker box if you see water near the electrical wiring.
Clean up water to prevent water damage.
Turn on faucets to alleviate pressure.
Turn off your water heater and close the valve.
Flush the toilet several times.
Frequently Asked Questions
While a frozen pipe can thaw on its own, that doesn't mean that it should. Allowing your frozen pipes to thaw on their own can cause serious damage to your plumbing system, water damage in your home, and costly leaks from pipes that are hard to find. The best way to thaw a frozen pipe is by increasing warm air circulation to the pipes. Better yet, take steps to prevent your pipes from freezing at all.
Yes, the thawing process is often the reason why frozen pipes burst in the first place. Though it may seem like it's the freezing itself that causes a pipe to burst, it's actually the pressure that builds inside the pipes in your home that really contributes to the pipe bursting. As the ice melts, more pressure builds in the pipes. That pressure increases further if some of the water thaws only to refreeze.