Three Signs Your Pipes Are Frozen

Recently, Texas and other states in the deep south experienced freezing temperatures when Winter Storm Uri arrived. Here in Charlotte, while we may have avoided the storm and the freezing temperatures that followed, homeowners everywhere still faced the threats of freezing temperatures and what they can do to their home.

If you already suspect you might have frozen pipes, give our team a call as soon as possible so we can help solve your frozen pipes before they burst. Call us today!

Frozen Pipes in Winter

Perhaps the largest threat in winter is frozen pipes. Freezing temperatures can cause the water inside exposed plumbing lines to freeze, and that can cause all sorts of trouble. As water freezes, it expands, and that expansion places a lot of stress on the walls of your plumbing because the water simply has no extra space to expand to. As a result, you could experience anything from small fractures that cause slow leaks to pipe bursts that can completely flood a room in your home in as little as an hour or so.

So what can you do about this issue? Unless you have the ability to control the weather and prevent freezing temperatures, there’s nothing you can do about your pipes being exposed to these temperatures. You can take preventative steps, including covering exposed lines with plumbing insulation, but even that might not be enough to stop the water inside from freezing. That means the next best step is to know the signs that your pipes have frozen, and then prepare to take reactive measures in order to prevent serious damage when they defrost.

Here are three fairly easy to spot signs that you’re dealing with frozen pipes.

Sign 1: Your Water Doesn’t Turn On

It’s freezing cold outside, you turn on a water tap somewhere in your home, and suddenly you find that water isn’t coming out. The most likely cause is a frozen pipe somewhere in your home. This is particularly common with sinks and fixtures that are located on an exterior-facing wall, as the lines that feed them are often run through this wall, where they may or may not be properly insulated from the cold. That means it’s time to start preparing for what might happen when your water lines defrost and the water flows freely again.

Sign 2: Your Pipes are Frosty

If you can find an uninsulated, exposed segment of pipe in your home, take a moment to examine it. If frost is building up on the outside of the pipe, there’s a pretty strong chance that the water inside has frozen over. This usually happens because what little humidity and water vapor in the air inside your home quickly condenses and forms into water when it comes into contact with your plumbing line that’s filled with frozen water. The water vapor quickly freezes into a tiny ice crystal; an accumulation of crystals forms the frost that you see. While this may not be common with plastic plumbing lines, which don’t transfer heat nearly as well as copper or another metal material, it’s quite easy to spot frost on metallic plumbing lines.

Generally, it’s best to look for an indoor exposed plumbing line that’s located on or near an outdoor-facing wall. The easiest place to look: your main water line, which in many homes is exposed and located in your garage. This is especially true for homes where copper piping was retrofitted through a copper re-pipe service.

Sign 3: Strange Smells

Finally, if any odd smells are coming from your faucets or drains, this could be an indicator of a frozen pipe. When a pipe freezes, the only place these odors can escape is back through your plumbing fixture or drain, which means your nose will have to deal with the odor that’s impacting your home. This is particularly common with frozen drain lines, which can and do happen if they’re either buried shallow or the ground has frozen all the way down. Likewise, frigid air can enter a drain or sewer line, causing it to freeze the sludge or water which may be present, blocking up the line and leaving you to deal with the smell.

If you suspect you might have frozen pipes, check out our video on how to begin unfreezing your pipes:

If your pipes refuse to unfreeze or you suspect one of your pipes has cracked, contact our Charlotte Plumbers today to request an inspection appointment; we may be able to help you find any damage that has occurred and get it fixed as soon as possible so you can avoid a serious home emergency!

Last Updated: 3/11/21