Frozen pipes: how to prevent them and what to do

A frozen pipe often bursts when it thaws. Be ready before it does.

The answer in 2 lines. Before a hard freeze, insulate exposed pipes, disconnect garden hoses, let a cold-water faucet drip on the coldest wall, and open cabinet doors under sinks. If a faucet gives only a trickle or nothing, a pipe is probably frozen: know where your main shut-off is, open the faucet, and warm the pipe gently, working from the faucet back. Never use a torch or open flame. If the pipe has split, or you can't reach or thaw it, shut off the water and call a licensed plumber.

The first 3 steps

Before winter: insulate pipes in the garage, crawl space, attic and outside walls, and disconnect and drain garden hoses.
On a freezing night: let a thin stream of cold water drip from the faucet on the most exposed pipe, and open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls.
Leaving in cold weather: keep the heat on, and for a long absence consider shutting off the main valve and draining the pipes.

Stop: danger

Torch, lighter, propane heater or any open flame to thaw a pipe: fire and burn risk.
Electric hair dryer, heating pad or space heater near water: if water is leaking or you're standing in water, don't use them. Electric shock risk.
Water near the electrical panel or outlets: stay out and call your utility or 911.

Warning signs

Only a trickle, or nothing, from a faucet on a freezing morning.
Frost on a visible pipe, or a pipe that bulges.
Pipes in unheated spaces: crawl space, garage, attic, outside walls, kitchen sink on an exterior wall.
A home left empty or with the heat turned way down during a cold snap.

Where pipes freeze, and why the South gets hit too

In colder Northern states, pipes are usually installed inside heated space. In warmer states, pipes often run through attics, crawl spaces and outside walls, so a rare hard freeze can do more damage there. In its latest figures, published in January 2026, State Farm reported about $628 million in frozen-pipe losses (Carrier Management), with Southern states such as Tennessee near the top of its state ranking (WBBJ); the insurer publishes a new ranking most winters in its newsroom (State Farm).

Prevent: before and during the cold

Insulate exposed pipes with foam pipe sleeves from a hardware store. Pick the inside diameter printed on the package that matches your pipe. For very cold spots, a UL-listed heat cable (heat tape) used exactly as its instructions say.
Outside faucets: disconnect hoses, close the indoor shut-off for the outdoor faucet if you have one, and open the outdoor faucet to drain it.
Find your main shut-off valve now and check that it turns (see our guide on shutting off the water).
On freezing nights: drip a cold faucet, open sink cabinets, close the garage door, and keep the thermostat the same day and night.
Away from home: don't turn the heat off. Keep it at a steady temperature (many guides say no lower than about 55°F), or shut off the main and drain the pipes.

Illinois Extension has a full checklist: Cold weather, frozen pipes.

No water: how to thaw a frozen pipe

Open the faucet the pipe feeds, so melting water can flow out and pressure can escape.
If you can't see the pipe or suspect a split, shut off the main water valve first.
Warm the pipe gently, starting near the faucet and moving toward the frozen part: towels soaked in hot water, a heating pad, or a hair dryer, kept dry and away from water.
Keep going until full water pressure comes back, then check every faucet: other pipes may be frozen too.
If the pipe is inside a wall, cracked or leaking, or you can't thaw it: a licensed plumber.

Texas A&M AgriLife's fact sheet covers the same steps: Winter storms: frozen pipes (PDF).

A pipe burst: insurance and who to tell

Shut off the water at the main valve, then the power to wet areas if you can reach the panel without stepping in water.
Photos and video of the damage before cleaning up; keep damaged items and receipts.
Insurance: standard homeowners and renters policies generally cover sudden water damage from a burst pipe, but not always the cost of fixing the pipe itself, and a claim can be refused if the damage comes from neglect, for example leaving a home unheated (NAIC). Read the freezing and vacancy clauses of your policy.
Renters: tell your landlord in writing right away. Your renters insurance covers your belongings, the landlord's covers the building.
Water company: if the meter or the line before it froze, call your water utility; rules on who pays for the meter vary by city.

In Atlanta, Marcus leaves for a week in January as a hard freeze is forecast. He keeps the thermostat steady, opens the sink cabinets, and disconnects the garden hose. His neighbor, who turned the heat off, comes home to a split pipe in the garage and water on the floor, and has to call a plumber and file an insurance claim.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Good to know

Insurers publish frozen-pipe claim figures most winters; amounts vary by year and state. No official national count of frozen pipes was found as of November 1, 2026.
A pipe that froze once will likely freeze again in the same spot: insulate it or ask a plumber to reroute it.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 1, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for prevention, safe thawing and the no-flame rule; medium for insurance, which depends on your policy and state. This guide describes common cases, not a diagnosis.