Frozen & Burst Pipes
Pipes freeze in lake homes and cold crawl spaces. How to prevent it and what to do if it happens.
Reviewed by Micky Cipolla, NJ Master Plumber #13478
Lake cottages, crawl spaces and exterior walls make frozen pipes a real risk around Budd Lake, Lake Hopatcong and the surrounding towns. A frozen pipe that splits can flood a home fast.
Common causes
- Lines in unheated spaces. Crawl spaces, garages and exterior walls.
- Converted seasonal homes. Summer cottages often have pipes routed where they were never meant to be in winter.
- Heat set too low or off. A cold snap with the heat down is when pipes freeze.
- Drafts. Cold air leaking onto a pipe can freeze it even in a heated home.
What you can check first
- If a pipe is frozen, open the faucet and warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer, never an open flame
- If a pipe has burst, shut off the main right away
- Open cabinet doors on exterior walls during a cold snap
- Keep heat on when you are away
When to call a plumber
- A pipe has burst or is leaking
- A line freezes more than once
- You cannot find or turn off the main
How we fix it
We repair the burst pipe, then fix why it froze: rerouting lines out of cold spaces, adding protection and making sure the shutoffs work.
Leak Detection & Pipe Repair Repiping & PEX
Frozen & Burst Pipes FAQ
Why do my pipes keep freezing?
They are usually run through a cold space. Moving or protecting them solves it.
Is PEX better for freezing?
PEX handles freezing better than copper, but the real fix is keeping lines out of the cold.
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