How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Winter

Why frozen pipes are a problem

Water expands as it freezes. That expansion pushes against the pipe wall — metal or plastic — and can break the line. The American Red Cross and University of Missouri Extension both describe this same mechanism.

Pipes that freeze most often include outdoor hose bibs, supply lines in unheated garages or crawl spaces, runs along exterior walls with little insulation, and plumbing inside kitchen or bath cabinets on outside walls. Hot and cold lines can both freeze.

Utah State University Extension notes that after a line cracks and later thaws, pressurized water can leak heavily — similar in effect to leaving a faucet on — and leaks inside walls or ceilings are costly to reach and repair.

Before cold weather arrives

Ready.gov recommends preparing the home to keep out cold with insulation, caulking, and weather stripping, and learning how to keep pipes from freezing. Practical steps echoed across Red Cross and extension guidance include:

• Remove, drain, and store garden hoses. Close indoor valves feeding outdoor hose bibs, open the outdoor bib to drain, and leave the outside valve open so any trapped water can expand without breaking the pipe.
• Add insulation in attics, basements, and crawl spaces so those spaces stay warmer around plumbing.
• Insulate exposed pipes with products intended for plumbing (pipe sleeves, UL-listed heat tape or cable per manufacturer instructions). Newspaper can add limited protection in mildly cold areas — it is not a substitute for proper insulation in severe climates.
• Locate vulnerable runs in garages, under sinks, and along outside walls and plan to monitor them during cold snaps.

Warning signs a pipe may be frozen

• You turn on a tap and get little or no flow, or only a trickle, while other fixtures behave normally.
• Frost or heavy cold on an exposed pipe, or pipes along an outside wall or where service enters through the foundation — common locations cited by Red Cross and MU Extension.
• One fixture is affected but others are not — if one pipe freezes, others may also.

If a pipe bursts or leaks

1. Stop the flow. Shut off the main water supply to the house if you can do so safely. USU Extension recommends shutting the main supply before thaw attempts when you are doing your own work; the same shutoff limits damage after a burst.
2. Protect people and electricity. Keep family and pets away from standing water. Follow Minnesota Extension guidance: unplug damaged appliances only if safe, turn off breakers when appropriate, and contact your utility about damaged lines or equipment.
3. Call a qualified plumber for repair, replacement, and code-compliant drying or remediation. FixMatched is not an emergency dispatcher.
4. Document damage for insurance if you have coverage — follow your carrier's instructions; we do not describe claim amounts or guarantees.

When to call a licensed plumber

• Any burst, active leak you cannot fully stop, or water near electrical panels or gas appliances.
• Frozen pipe you cannot locate, reach, or thaw with safe gradual heat.
• Repeated freeze-ups in the same run — may need rerouting, insulation, or heat tape installed to code.
• Hot water or main service line freeze — USU Extension notes you may need to shut off the water heater.
• After thawing, if flow returns but you see new drips, stains, or low pressure — the pipe may have cracked while frozen.