Frozen Pipe Thawing in Milton
One tap gives a trickle, then nothing. Somewhere between the meter and that tap, a pipe has frozen. The aim is to thaw it before it splits, not after.
- Hidden leaks found with a moisture meter, not a crowbar
- Split sections cut out and replaced, not clamped
- House held under pressure after the repair
- Main shut-off checked before we leave
- Licensed plumbing trade
- Booked around your day
- Price agreed before work
- Phone only, no forms
On the truck
- Moisture meter and thermal look
- PEX crimper, copper torch, push fittings
- Pressure gauge on a hose bib
Tested before we leave
- House held under pressure after the repair
- Every joint wiped dry and looked at again
- Main shut-off worked before we leave
How pricing works
Quoted on site, after we have opened it up and found the cause. Nothing starts without your yes.
| You notice | Usual cause | On the job |
|---|---|---|
| Stain spreading on the ceiling | Leak at a fitting in the floor above | Moisture meter, open a small hole, repair |
| Meter dial moving with taps off | Hidden leak on the supply side | Isolate zones, pressure-test each |
| Pinholes in copper, green crust | Corrosion from water chemistry | Replace the run in PEX or copper |
When you need frozen pipe thawing
- A tap or fixture stops during a cold snap while others work.
- Frost on an exposed pipe in the basement, garage or crawl space.
- Every tap dry during a deep freeze, with no notice of street work.
- A bulge or hairline split in a pipe near an outside wall.
What the visit looks like
We work back from the dead fixture toward the meter to find where the cold is getting in: an outside wall, a cantilevered floor over a garage, a kitchen sink on an exterior wall, an uninsulated rim joist. Then we warm the pipe slowly with controlled heat, opening the fixture so melting ice has somewhere to go. We never use open flame on a frozen pipe.
As water starts to move we watch for leaks. Ice expands, and a pipe that froze may have split while frozen and will only show it once thawed. If it did, we cut out the damaged section and repair it on the spot. Before leaving, we show you the weak point and how to protect it, whether with insulation, heat cable, or a reroute away from the cold wall.
While you wait: open the dead tap slightly, open cabinet doors under sinks, and raise the thermostat. Do not use a torch.
Milton homes and this problem
The same few spots freeze in Milton every hard winter. Kitchen sinks on outside walls. Bathrooms above attached garages. Laundry rooms over cold crawl spaces. Hose bibs with the inside valve left open. Homes near the Escarpment and on open lots in the rural north catch the wind harder, and pipes along the windward side are the first to go. Our pamphlet on preventing frozen pipes covers what to do before the cold arrives.
What affects the cost
- Reaching the frozen length.
- Any split that needs cutting out.
- Time and day of the call.
- Any reroute or insulation to stop it happening again.
Doing it yourself vs calling
A hair dryer on an exposed pipe with the tap open is a fair first attempt. Space heaters left unattended, torches and boiling water are not. If the ice cannot be found, or if any pipe shows a bulge or crack, close the main valve and call. A split pipe thaws into a flood; see burst pipe repair.
Questions we get asked
Is a dripping tap worth it on frigid nights?
On fixtures along exterior walls, a slow drip during extreme cold can help prevent freezing.
Can a frozen pipe burst after it thaws?
Yes. The split often happens while frozen and only leaks once the ice melts.
How do I stop the same pipe freezing again?
Insulate it, seal the cold air leak near it, or reroute it inside the heated space.