Why the leak shows up later
Water expands as it freezes. In a pipe, the ice plug builds pressure between itself and a closed faucet until the pipe splits or a fitting pulls apart, often a foot or two away from the ice. While the pipe is frozen, nothing leaks. When a cold snap breaks and the sun comes out, the ice melts and water sprays from the split at full pressure.
Englewood gets sharp cold snaps followed by quick warmups. Pipes in exterior walls, crawlspaces, garages, under kitchen sinks on outside walls, and near foundation vents are the usual victims. Outdoor hose faucets that were not shut off and drained in fall split inside the wall, and the leak runs into the basement or crawlspace unseen.
Freeze to thaw: what to watch for
- Deep cold arrives
- A faucet slows to a trickle or stops, or a toilet will not refill. That is the sign a line is freezing.
- While frozen
- Keep the faucet open so melting water has somewhere to go, and close the main if you can see a bulge or crack.
- Thawing
- Warm the pipe slowly from the faucet end back toward the ice, and watch for drips along the pipe.
- First day after
- Check ceilings, crawlspaces, the basement and the garage for water you did not see during the cold.
- Following week
- Watch the water meter with all fixtures off. A moving meter means a hidden leak is still running.
Thawing a pipe safely
Find the frozen stretch
Follow the line from the faucet that stopped. The frozen part is usually where the pipe runs along an outside wall or through an unheated space.
Open the faucet
Leave it open so water and steam can escape as the ice melts and so you can tell when flow returns.
Use gentle heat
A hair dryer, a space heater kept well back, or warm towels. Never use an open flame, a propane torch or a heat gun on walls or near insulation.
Be ready to shut off
Have someone near the main valve. If water starts spraying from a split as the ice melts, close it at once.
Call a plumber for splits and hidden lines
If you cannot reach the frozen section, or it is inside a wall, a plumber has safer tools for thawing and repair.
Common questions
Is a frost-free hose bib immune to freezing?
Only if the hose is disconnected. A hose left attached traps water in the valve body, which can split inside the wall.
General information for Englewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.