Frozen Pipes 101

The new year is fast approaching! Everyone is planning their resolutions and game plans for 2026. American Rooter Plumbing wants to help you be proactive to preventing a plumbing nightmare: frozen pipes. When water freezes, it expands with enough force to rupture even the strongest metal or plastic pipes, leading to flooding and expensive repairs.

The good news? The Sweet Plumbers are here to give you some sweet tips to prevent common disasters.

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

Prevention is all about keeping the air around your plumbing above freezing and ensuring water doesn't sit stagnant in vulnerable areas.

✅ Pro-Tip: Find Your Main Shut-off Valve

Before the next freeze, make sure every adult in the house knows exactly where the main water shut-off valve is. If a pipe bursts, turning this valve off within seconds—rather than minutes—can be the difference between a damp floor and a ruined home.

1. Insulate Vulnerable Areas

Focus on pipes in unheated areas like basements, crawl spaces, attics, and garages.

• Use pipe sleeves (foam tubes) or UL-listed heat tape.
• Disconnect garden hoses and use insulated covers on exterior hose bibs. Don’t forget the outdoor faucets!

2. Let the Faucets Drip

When temperatures drop below freezing, leave a few faucets running at a very slow drip.

• Movement prevents the water from reaching a complete freeze.
• Even a tiny drip relieves the pressure buildup between the ice blockage and the faucet, which is usually what causes a pipe to burst.

3. Open Cabinet Doors

Kitchen and bathroom pipes are often tucked away in dark, cold cabinets. By keeping the doors open, you allow the warm air from your home to circulate around the plumbing.

4. Seal the Drafts

Check for air leaks around dryer vents, electrical wiring, and windows. Use caulk or insulation to seal these gaps. A cold breeze hitting a pipe can freeze it even if the room itself feels relatively warm.

When Is It Time to Call a Plumber?

American Rooter Plumbing can help you when despite your prep and best efforts, the cold gets the best of you. When should you call us?

Preventative

Our Sweet Club Membership is your best defense to year-round protection. For a monthly fee, you gain discounts, promotions, and coupon savings to you. Your comfort and peace of mind are important to us. The Sweet Club Membership gains your priority service, lifetime warranty on eligible fixtures, all your faucets and fixtures get tested to ensure they work properly, and minor adjustments are completed at no charge. Shut off valves are checked to ensure they are working in the event of a pipe freeze or water emergency. Water heaters receive annual maintenance to extend its life cycle. Having American Rooter Plumbing partner with you as a Sweet Member helps to spot issues and can potentially save you thousands when issues are caught early.

The "Maybe" Phase (DIY with Caution)

If you turn on the tap and only a trickle comes out, your pipes are likely frozen. You can try to thaw them using a hair dryer or a portable space heater (keep it away from flammable materials!).

The "Call Now" Phase (Professional Help Required)

You should call a licensed plumber immediately if: You spot a split in the pipe, it WILL leak the moment it thaws. You can not wait on this issue, it’s urgent. Additionally, if the frozen section is behind a wall or under a floor, you need professional grade equipment to safely thaw the area. This is not the time to DIY and risk further emergency damage. If you have MULTIPLE lines frozen this suggests a much deeper issue with your main line or failure in your insulation, please call us so we can expertly assess the issue for you. If the pipe actually bursts: this is nothing short of an emergency. Turn off your main water valve, and call us immediately, without exception.

We’re Here to Help!

American Rooter Plumbing is here to help with amazing reviews for our attention to detail and expertise. We were also named 2025 NextDoor apps Best Plumbing Service based on votes and reviews from our neighbors who trust us.

We’re here to help whether it’s preventative or an emergency. Please don’t hesitate to reach out at (402) 810-8444 or you can contact us online.