The lines that freeze first
Freezing is about exposure, not just temperature. In northern Utah homes the same handful of runs fail every year.
- Outdoor hose bibs, especially older non-frost-free models
- Supply lines in unheated crawlspaces and along exterior walls
- Pipes running to detached garages, shops, and barns
- Kitchen sink lines on a north-facing exterior wall
- Anything in an attic space above the insulation line
What to do before the first hard freeze
October is the month for this work along the Wasatch Front, earlier at higher elevations like North Ogden and the Layton bench.
- Disconnect every garden hose — a connected hose traps water in the bib and guarantees a split
- Shut off and drain any interior valves that feed exterior faucets
- Close crawlspace vents and insulate exposed runs
- Insulate pipes in the garage and along exterior walls with proper foam sleeve, not fabric
- Locate and test your main shut-off so you can actually use it under pressure
During a cold snap
When temperatures stay below freezing for days, leave cabinet doors open under sinks on exterior walls so household heat reaches the pipe. Let a vulnerable faucet drip — moving water is much harder to freeze, and a dripping tap relieves the pressure that actually bursts pipes.
Keep the house at a consistent temperature, including overnight and while you are away. Setting the thermostat back ten degrees to save on gas is what turns a marginal pipe run into a burst one.
If a pipe is already frozen
Open the affected faucet first so melting water has somewhere to go. Apply gentle heat with a hair dryer or heat lamp, working from the faucet back toward the frozen section. Never use a torch — you will damage the pipe and risk a fire.
If you cannot reach the frozen section, or if you thaw it and water starts running where it should not, shut off the main immediately and call us. A burst inside a wall does its worst damage in the first ten minutes.