Burst Pipe Repair
A burst pipe pours water fast. We stop it, repair the line around the clock and check the rest of the run for weak spots.
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Frozen Pipe Repair and Thawing in Philadelphia
A frozen line can split the moment it thaws. We thaw it safely, check it for damage and fix the reason it froze, so you are not calling again next cold snap.
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Quick answer: If it is below freezing and one or two fixtures give a trickle or nothing while others work, a frozen pipe is the likely cause. The fixtures that stop first are usually on exterior walls, such as a rowhome kitchen sink in a back addition. If no fixtures work, the freeze may be near where the service line enters, or the issue could be on the supply side.
If you turn on a faucet on a cold morning and get a trickle or nothing at all, a pipe has probably frozen. The danger is not only the lack of water. Ice expands as it forms, and the pressure can split copper, galvanized steel or even PEX. Often the split does not leak until the ice melts, so a frozen pipe can become a burst pipe within hours. Getting it thawed under control, with someone ready to repair it, is the safest way through. Acting quickly can be the difference between a thaw and a flood.
We locate the frozen section, open a faucet downstream and thaw the pipe gradually with safe heat, never an open flame. As water starts to move, we watch for leaks. If the pipe split, we cut out the damaged section and replace it. Then we deal with why it froze: a line on an exterior wall, an uninsulated crawl space, a draft from a gap in the foundation or a garage line. Insulation, heat cable or rerouting keeps it from happening again. We leave you with a plan for the next cold night.
Know the warning signs
Signs of a Frozen Pipe
- A faucet gives only a trickle or no water on a cold morning.
- Frost shows on an exposed pipe in a basement or crawl space.
- The kitchen sink on an exterior wall stops working first.
- A toilet will not refill after flushing.
- You hear clanking or gurgling when you open a tap.
- A strange smell comes from a drain because water is not flowing.
What is included
What Our Frozen Pipe Repair Service Covers
- Locating frozen sections of pipe
- Safe thawing without open flame
- Repair of split or cracked pipe
- Pressure test after thawing
- Pipe insulation and heat cable
- Rerouting lines away from cold walls
How it works
Our Frozen Pipe Repair Process
Find the Frozen Section
We trace the line from the dead fixture back toward the main to find where it runs through a cold spot, such as an exterior wall, a back addition, a crawl space or a garage. That is almost always where the ice is.
Thaw Safely
We open the faucet downstream and apply controlled heat to the frozen section, working from the faucet side back. No torches on frozen pipe. Moving water helps melt the rest, and we watch the line closely as it thaws. Patience here prevents a split.
Repair Any Splits
If the pipe cracked, we shut the water, cut out the damaged section and replace it with new pipe and fittings. You get an upfront quote for the repair before work starts. We pressure test the line once water is back on.
Prevent the Next Freeze
We insulate the exposed run, recommend heat cable where it makes sense, seal drafts we find or quote rerouting the line to a warmer path. We also show you which faucet to drip on the coldest nights. Small changes often stop repeat freezes for good.
Philadelphia plumbing
Why Pipes Freeze in Philadelphia Homes
Philadelphia is not as cold as upstate New York or New England, and that is part of the problem. Many homes were never built with freezing in mind, so when a January or February cold snap drops the temperature into the teens or lower, the weak spots show up fast. In rowhomes, the back addition is the usual culprit. Kitchens and bathrooms built onto the rear of the house often have water lines along an exterior wall or running over a shallow, unheated crawl space, and those lines freeze first. Homes in Manayunk and Roxborough built into hillsides add cold, exposed basement walls to the list.
In the suburbs, frozen pipes show up in garages, crawl spaces under additions, outside hose bibs left on and in homes with plumbing on north facing walls. Rental properties and vacant homes with the heat turned down freeze too. Levittown and other slab homes have fewer exposed lines but can freeze where pipes pass through exterior walls. One frozen line in a home usually means the same line will freeze again unless the cause is fixed. We fix the cause so the next deep freeze passes quietly, and we show you which line to watch.
Pricing
What Affects the Cost of Frozen Pipe Repair
Frozen pipe repair cost depends on where the frozen section is, how long it takes to thaw and whether the pipe split. A frozen line in an open basement is quicker to reach than one inside a finished back addition wall or under a crawl space. Repairing a split adds pipe and fittings. Prevention work like insulation, heat cable or rerouting is separate and depends on the length of the run. We give you an upfront quote before any repair starts.
Call (518) 776-7838 for an upfront quote. We answer 24/7 and explain the price before any work starts.
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Frozen Pipe Repair Near You
We provide frozen pipe repair across Philadelphia and Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties.
FAQ
Frozen Pipe Repair Questions, Answered
If it is below freezing and one or two fixtures give a trickle or nothing while others work, a frozen pipe is the likely cause. The fixtures that stop first are usually on exterior walls, such as a rowhome kitchen sink in a back addition. If no fixtures work, the freeze may be near where the service line enters, or the issue could be on the supply side.
You can try gentle heat, such as a hair dryer or space heater kept at a safe distance, with the faucet open. Never use an open flame, which can damage pipe and start a fire. Know where your main shutoff is before you start, because the pipe may have split and will leak once it thaws. If you cannot find the frozen spot or it is inside a wall, call us.
A pipe that freezes every year is in a cold path, usually an exterior wall, a back addition over a crawl space or a spot near a foundation gap with a draft. Dripping the faucet helps on bad nights, but it does not fix the cause. Insulating the run, sealing the draft, adding heat cable or rerouting the line through a heated space are lasting fixes.
No, but many do. Ice puts pressure on the pipe, and the weakest point, often a joint or an old corroded section, can split. Sometimes the split is hidden until the pipe thaws. That is why we watch the line as it thaws and pressure test it afterward. Thawing early, before the ice spreads, gives the pipe the best chance.
Yes. Drain lines and traps in unheated spaces can freeze too, especially in back additions, garages and outdoor drains. A frozen drain will not let water out, and water backing up behind it can overflow. Once thawed, ice and debris can leave a partial clog. We can clear the line with a drain machine and check it on camera if it keeps acting up.
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Clear storm drains, catch basins, yard drains, french drains, downspout lines and rowhome areaway drains before the next big rain.
Storm and Outdoor Drain Cleaning detailsNeed frozen pipe repair today?
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