Skip to content
Drain Pros TNWoman-owned · TN LLP #5045

Urgent · call first · TN LLP #5045

Frozen Pipes

No water in a cold snap, or one fixture dead while others work.

Plumbing emergency? Call (423) 413-6876Call (423) 413-6876

Quick answer

Urgent, because a frozen pipe is a burst pipe that has not happened yet. Shut off the main if you can, do not use an open flame to thaw anything, and call. If it has already split, the water damage starts the moment it thaws.

Do this right now

  1. 1Open the affected tap so there is somewhere for water to go as it thaws.
  2. 2Never use a torch or open flame on a pipe. Warm the space instead, or use a hair dryer at low heat.
  3. 3Know where your main shutoff is before it thaws — that is when a split starts pouring.
  4. 4If the property is empty, leave heat on and cabinet doors open under sinks on outside walls.

Freezing is the seasonal failure around here, and it hits the same places every time: crawlspaces, exterior walls, garages, and the outdoor spigot nobody disconnected in the fall. Rural properties on long runs are especially exposed.

How you know this is it

  • No water at one fixture while the rest of the house still works
  • No water anywhere after a hard freeze
  • Frost or bulging visible on an accessible pipe
  • A pipe that thaws and then starts leaking, which means it already split

What usually causes it

  • Uninsulated pipe in a crawlspace, garage, or exterior wall
  • An outdoor hose bib left connected over winter
  • Long, shallow supply runs on rural properties
  • A crawlspace vent left open through a cold snap
  • Loss of heat in an empty or seasonal property

Common questions

Frozen Pipes: your questions answered

My seasonal place froze while it was empty. Can you help?
Yes, and it is a call we get every winter across the Ocoee and Delano river properties. A burst in an empty house can run for days, so the sooner we are there the better.
How do I stop it happening again?
Insulating the exposed runs, disconnecting hose bibs in the fall, and closing crawlspace vents through winter covers most of it. On a rural long run we may suggest more.
It thawed and now it is leaking. What now?
That is a burst pipe. Shut off the main and call. The split was there before the thaw; the ice was holding it closed.
Are you licensed?
Yes. Tennessee Limited Licensed Plumber #5045, issued by the state Board for Licensing Contractors and verifiable at verify.tn.gov. Across eighteen local competitors, not one publishes their number.

Related problems

Burst PipeFailing Galvanized Pipe

Get service

Book Drain Pros TN for emergency plumbing.

Call for the fastest response, request service online, or send the form and we’ll reach out. Woman-owned and family-run, licensed, with straight pricing you approve before we start and 24/7 emergency service.

Call (423) 413-6876Plumbing emergency? Call (423) 413-6876Request service

TN Limited Licensed Plumber · #5045 · verify at verify.tn.gov

Request service

The fastest way to get on the schedule is a call. Online booking is being connected — until then, reach us directly.

Call (423) 413-6876
Call nowRequest Emergency