On the coldest January nights, the first call usually sounds simple: "Nothing comes out of the faucet."
That is how frozen pipes often start. Not with a dramatic burst. Just a kitchen sink in West Hartford, or a bathroom over a garage in Glastonbury, suddenly acting like the water was shut off.
Where CT Pipes Actually Freeze
Every plumbing website tells you "pipes in exterior walls are at risk." That's true, but it's not the whole story. In Connecticut, the spots we see fail over and over are specific:
- Rim joists in older colonials and raised ranches. The rim joist is where the wood frame meets the foundation. In a 1960s raised ranch, there's usually a half-inch of insulation between your supply line and the outside air. Sometimes less.
- Well pump houses outside the main building envelope. If you're on well water in Simsbury or Avon, that pump house is the weak link. A heat lamp on a timer can save you thousands.
- Garage supply lines for utility sinks and hose bibs. We see this constantly in Glastonbury and Farmington, where attached garages have a sink that seemed like a great idea until January.
- Kitchen supply lines on exterior walls, especially in older Hartford homes where cabinets hide the pipes from warm room air.
What You Can Do Tonight
If a cold snap is coming and you haven't prepped, here's the short list:
- Open cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks on exterior walls. This sounds too simple to work. It works.
- Let the farthest faucet drip. A pencil-thin stream through the coldest fixture keeps water moving. Moving water is harder to freeze.
- Don't drop your thermostat below 65 overnight. We know heating oil is expensive. A burst pipe and the drywall repair after it are worse.
- Check your heat cables if you have them on exposed lines in the crawl space. They fail quietly. Plug them in and touch the pipe after ten minutes. If it is not warm, replace the cable before the cold snap.
- Seal gaps around exterior penetrations. A quarter-inch gap where a pipe enters from outside can create a localized freeze. Spray foam or caulk. Five minutes.
What Happens When a Pipe Freezes
Pipes don't burst where the ice is. They burst a few feet away, where liquid water gets trapped between the ice plug and a closed valve. Pressure builds with nowhere to go, and copper or PEX splits.
If you turn on a faucet and get a trickle or nothing, the line is frozen. Keep the faucet open so melting ice can drain. Warm the suspected section with a hair dryer or heating pad. Never use a torch or heat gun. We've seen scorch marks on joists from homeowners who tried.
If multiple fixtures are dead or you cannot find the frozen section, call a plumber. We use infrared tools to narrow down the freeze and thaw the line without opening walls unless there is no other way in.
When to Call Us
- Water is spraying or pooling somewhere it shouldn't be
- More than one fixture has no water
- You hear banging in the walls when you turn a faucet on
- You see frost on an exposed pipe
We handle frozen and burst pipes 24/7, all winter, across Connecticut. If you suspect a freeze or you see water, call us at 860-614-7157. Fast action usually means less soaked flooring, less cut drywall, and a smaller repair.