Short answer
If a tap only trickles, or nothing comes out on a very cold day, a pipe feeding it has probably frozen. Open that tap, then warm the pipe gently with a hair dryer or space heater, starting nearest the tap. Never use an open flame. If you can't find the frozen section, or the pipe has split, shut off the main valve and call (613) 449-1758.
How to thaw a frozen pipe safely
- Open the tap the pipe feeds, so water and steam can escape as it thaws.
- Find the cold spot. Frozen sections are usually where a pipe runs along an outside wall, through a crawl space or garage, or near a gap that lets cold air in.
- Warm it gently. Use a hair dryer, a space heater kept well away from anything that can burn, or towels soaked in hot water. Start near the tap and work back.
- Never use a torch or open flame. It can burst the pipe and start a fire inside the wall.
- Watch for leaks as it thaws. Ice can split a pipe with no sign until water flows again. If you see water, shut off the main and call us.
How to keep pipes from freezing
- Shut off and drain outdoor taps before the first hard frost, and disconnect the hoses.
- Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces, garages and unheated rooms.
- Seal drafts where cold air reaches pipes, such as rim joists and around dryer vents.
- On the coldest nights, open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls and let a tap drip.
- Going away? Keep the heat at 15°C or higher and have someone check the house, or shut off the main and drain the lines.
When the freeze is outside the house
On Kingston city water, if no tap in the house works and your pipes indoors aren't cold, the freeze may be in the water service underground. Call Utilities Kingston's 24-hour line at 613-546-1181. They'll tell you whether it's on their side or yours.
In rural South Frontenac and Loyalist Township, a frozen line is often between the well and the house, or in the pressure system. We thaw and repair well lines, and service pressure tanks, pressure switches and pumps.
Cottages and seasonal properties
A cottage that sits empty all winter needs its lines drained and its fixtures protected, or the first cold snap does the damage for you. We winterize and open cottages around Kingston, South Frontenac and the Thousand Islands.
