What to do about a frozen or burst pipe

Shut off the water first. Then call a plumber and your insurance agent. Never use an open flame, and keep away from standing water near electricity.

1 min read

Shut off the water

If a pipe has burst, or you think it might, close the main water shutoff. Stopping the flow is what keeps a leak from becoming a flood. This is why every checklist here starts in early fall with finding the shutoff and showing it to everyone in the house.

Make the calls

Illinois Extension's advice is to call a plumber and contact your insurance agent. Take photos of the damage before you clean up.

Two things never to do

Never thaw a pipe with an open flame or a torch.
Mind the electricity. Be careful of electric shock in and around standing water.

Signs a pipe is frozen

On a cold morning, a faucet that gives a trickle or nothing at all, on a pipe that runs along an outside wall or through a cold space, is the usual sign. Leave the faucet open, keep the heat on, and call a plumber if you cannot reach the pipe safely.

So it does not happen again

The steps that prevent it are on how to keep pipes from freezing.

The steps for pipes and water

Find the main water shutoff, and show everyoneIf a pipe bursts, closing the main valve is what stops the damage. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is and how to turn it.QuickSource
Insulate the pipes most likely to freezeThose near outside walls, in crawlspaces and in the attic. Foam sleeves made for pipes slip on; UL-listed heat tape is the next step for a run that still freezes.A projectSource
Seal the cold air leaks near pipesA draft on a pipe freezes it faster than still cold air. Seal gaps where cold air gets in around the pipes.A projectSource
Open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside wallsIt lets the room's heat reach pipes that have no insulation of their own.QuickSource
Let a faucet trickle at nightHot and cold, from a faucet on an outside wall.QuickSource
Have someone check the house every day, or drain the waterSomeone stops in daily to make sure the heat is still on. If no one can, shut off and drain the water system (not an indoor fire sprinkler system, which must stay on).A projectSource

Check them off on the house The whole checklist

Sources

University of Illinois Extension: Cold weather, frozen pipes? Extension gives you all you need to know extension.illinois.edu

Drafted on October 26, 2026 with a language model from the pages listed above, each opened that day, and sampled by the editor after publication. Every figure is computed by the same code the tools run, and a test fails the build if one stops matching.

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