Why do pipes freeze in Brampton homes?
Frozen pipes in Brampton usually happen when a water line runs through a space that drops below 0 °C: exterior walls, garages, unheated crawl spaces, cantilevered floors over garages, and basement rim joists. When the water inside expands as it turns to ice, pressure builds between the ice blockage and the closed faucet. That pressure, not the ice itself, is what splits copper and PEX lines.
Many Brampton houses built in the 1990s and 2000s have kitchen sink supply lines on an outside wall and hose bibs that are never shut off for winter. Basement renovations can also box in pipes behind insulation that keeps the room warm but leaves the pipe on the cold side.
If your home has had a frozen line before, it will usually freeze in the same spot again. For repairs and rerouting, see our pipe repair service.
What are the warning signs of a frozen pipe?
The clearest sign is a faucet that gives only a trickle or nothing at all during a cold spell while other fixtures work normally. Other signs include frost on a visible pipe, a bulging section of pipe, gurgling sounds from drains, and a strange smell from a sink because the drain trap or vent has frozen.
Check the coldest areas first: the wall behind the kitchen sink, the laundry room, the garage wall, and the shutoff for the outside hose bib. If you find damp drywall, a water stain on the ceiling, or water dripping from a pot light, the pipe may already have cracked. Turn off the water before it thaws further.
How do you thaw a frozen pipe safely?
Open the faucet that the frozen line feeds so melting water has somewhere to go. Then warm the pipe slowly, starting from the faucet end and working back toward the blockage, using a hair dryer, a space heater kept at a safe distance, or warm towels.
Never use a propane torch, open flame, or a heat gun on high. Open flame can start a fire inside the wall cavity and can damage solder joints and plastic piping. Keep electrical devices away from standing water.
If you cannot reach the frozen section, cannot find it, or the pipe is inside a finished wall, call a plumber. A professional can locate the frozen area, thaw it safely, and check for a split before the water comes back on.
What to do if a frozen pipe bursts
Shut off the main water shutoff valve immediately. In most Brampton homes it is in the basement near the water meter, on the front wall facing the street. Every adult in the home should know where it is before winter starts.
After shutting off the water, open the lowest faucet in the house to drain the lines, turn off power to any wet area if it is safe to reach the panel, move valuables away, and take photos for your insurance claim. Then call for burst pipe repair or our 24/7 emergency plumber line.
How to prevent frozen pipes before the next cold snap
Shut off and drain every outside hose bib from the inside valve, and disconnect garden hoses. Seal air leaks around rim joists, dryer vents, and pipe penetrations, and add foam pipe insulation to lines in unheated areas.
During extreme cold, keep the thermostat at a steady temperature day and night, open the kitchen sink cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes, and let a vulnerable faucet drip slightly. If you are leaving for a trip, keep the heat on and ask someone to check the home.
For a line that freezes every year, the permanent fix is usually rerouting it to an inside wall or adding proper insulation. Our leak detection service can also confirm whether an earlier freeze left a hidden leak.