How to Defrost Frozen Water Pipes (And When to Call a Pro)

If you turn your faucet on during winter and nothing comes out, you’ve probably got a frozen pipe. Thawing a frozen pipe is usually no big deal, especially if you act fast to prevent the pipe from bursting. We talked to a home improvement specialist and professional plumbers to learn how to thaw frozen pipes and prevent your pipes from freezing in the future.

Best Ways to Thaw Frozen Water Pipes

Home improvement specialist Patrick Johns suggests directing heat to the wall in the location of the pipe or raising the temperature in the room. For instance, place a space heater or heat lamp near the pipe. If you have access to the pipe, warm it with a blow dryer or wrap heated electrical pipe tape around it.

Section 1 of 7:

Locating Frozen Pipes

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1
Test your faucets to narrow down which pipe is frozen. Turn on each tap one by one to see if water is flowing normally. Pay special attention to faucets that are fed by pipes that run along exterior walls or through uninsulated crawlspaces, attics, or basements. This can help you pinpoint the source of the problem. For instance:^{[1]
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- If only one faucet in a room isn’t working, the pipe leading to that tap is frozen.
- If none of the faucets are working in one room, one of the pipes leading to that room is frozen.
- If all of the faucets on a single floor stop working, the frozen pipe is where the water line separates for that floor.
- If none of the faucets in the whole home are working, the frozen pipe is probably the main water supply line leading to the house.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Patrick Johns is a home improvement specialist and owner of CatchAll Handyman Services, with 28 years of experience. He works on a variety of projects, including plumbing and carpentry.

David Balkan is a professional plumber, the CEO of Balkan Sewer and Water Main Service, and the President of Balkan Sewer and Drain Cleaning.

Dave Jones is a master plumber and the Midwest Regional Vice President at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup.
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Look for frost or bulging pipes to find the frozen section. Examine exposed pipes near the faucets that are blocked (like the pipes under the sink or in a basement). There may be visible frost on the frozen section of the pipe. You might also see a bulging section in the pipe where the ice has formed.^{[2]
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- Feel the pipe with your hand or use an infrared thermometer to check whether any areas of the pipe are significantly colder than the rest.
- Tap the pipe with a screwdriver handle or other object, listening for a more solid, less "hollow" sound.
- If you see a crack in the pipe, it’s leaking, or it’s covered in icicles, the pipe has burst. Turn off the water to your home right away and call a plumber.
- If you determine that an exposed section of pipe is frozen, turn off the water and open the faucets as described in the next steps, then go to the section on unfreezing an exposed pipe.
- If you can’t find the frozen section of the pipe, it may be inaccessible behind a wall. Follow the next two steps to shut off the water and open the faucets, then go to the section on thawing pipes you can’t access.
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Shut the water off if the pipes are mostly or completely blocked. If you turn a faucet on and there’s only a trickle or nothing comes out at all, it means that one of the supply pipes is significantly blocked. Turn off the water to take the pressure off the frozen pipe. If the water is on, pressure will keep building up, and you could accidentally burst a pipe.^{[3]
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- Master plumber Dave Jones says to find the main shut-off valve to your water, check your basement, a closet, or a panel near the front of your home, or outdoors on the front of your house. He says to “rotate the valve to the right to turn it off.”^{[4]
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- Tip: If the faucets are running but the water pressure is lower than normal, open the tap and let the water run—the flowing water may melt the ice without you having to do anything else.^{[5]
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Open all of the faucets to relieve pressure on the pipes. Once the water is turned off, open the faucet attached to the frozen pipe, as well as any nearby faucets. That way, as the ice thaws, the water can drip out of the faucet, helping relieve pressure on the pipe.^{[6]
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- The water flowing out of the pipe might help melt the remaining ice more quickly, as well.

Section 2 of 7:

Unfreezing Exposed Pipes

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When you start heating the pipe, start working on the frozen area that’s closer to the faucet. That way, as the ice thaws, the water will run out of the pipe. If you work from the back of the frozen area, pressure could build up inside the pipe, making it more likely that the pipe will crack or burst.
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Use a hair dryer or heat gun to slowly thaw the pipe. Turn on a hair dryer and run it back and forth along the frozen pipe. Keep it moving and do not place the dryer directly against the pipe, as uneven or sudden heating can rupture the pipe. If your pipes are metal, you can use a more powerful heat gun instead of a hair dryer.^{[7]
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- Never use a heat gun or anything stronger than a hair dryer on PVC pipes. PVC can be damaged at temperatures as low as 140 °F (60 °C).
- Outdoor valves often have fiber washers or other non-heat-safe materials inside them. Heat them slowly and cautiously.
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Place a hot water bottle on the pipe to help thaw it. Fill a hot water bottle about halfway with hot water—don’t fill it all the way, or it won’t form to the shape of the pipe. Drape the hot water bottle around the frozen section of the pipe to help gently warm it.
- You may need to replace the water a few times if it cools off too much.
- If you don’t have a hot water bottle, use a freezer bag instead. Just be sure to seal it tightly to avoid spills.
- Use bottled water if you don’t have any running water due to the frozen pipes.
- You can use this in combination with a hair dryer, if you like.
Wrap heat tape around long lengths of frozen pipe. If you have access to any part of the frozen pipe, Johns suggests wrapping it with heat strips.^{[8]
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Patrick Johns
Home Improvement Specialist

Expert Interview} Wrap the tape around the plumbing in a single layer, either in a straight line or a spiral pattern. Then, plug it into a power source. Professional plumber David Balkan explains that this kind of tape is designed to keep the pipes safely warm, not so hot they’ll warp or break.^{[9]
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David Balkan
Professional Plumber

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Use a space heater or heat lamp to heat the surrounding air slowly. Position space heaters, bare incandescent light bulbs, or heat lamps in the room with the frozen pipe, near the pipe but not touching it. Hang up tarps or blankets to trap the heat in a smaller area, if necessary. For large rooms, use several heat sources to ensure safe, even heating of the pipe.^{[10]
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- Do not leave any space heaters or heat lamps unattended. They can cause fires if they get knocked over or malfunction.
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Wrap the pipe in hot towels to thaw it quickly. Put on rubber gloves, and soak some towels in hot water. Wring them out, then wrap them securely around the frozen section of pipe. Replace with freshly soaked, hot towels every 5–10 minutes until the pipe thaws.^{[11]
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- Do not leave cold wet towels around the pipes—that’s just going to make the towels freeze onto your pipe.

Section 3 of 7:

Thawing Pipes You Can’t Access

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1
Turn up the central heating. Johns recommends that you “raise the temperature in the room” to help unfreeze the pipe.^{[12]
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Patrick Johns
Home Improvement Specialist

Expert Interview} Crank the heat in the house up to 75–80 °F (24–27 °C) and wait 2-3 hours. The radiant heat that fills your home will warm up the walls and ceilings that are concealing your pipes. As the ambient temperature rises, it can help melt the ice blocking the pipe.^{[13]
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- Open closet and cabinet doors so the warm air circulates as close to the walls as possible.
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Point an infrared lamp at the wall near the frozen pipe. As another option, Johns says it’s a great idea to “direct heat to the wall in the location of the pipe.”^{[14]
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Patrick Johns
Home Improvement Specialist

Expert Interview} Infrared heat lamps target heat at solid surfaces, so they’ll be more effective at heating the wall (and therefore the pipe behind the wall). But if you don’t have one, you can try putting a heat lamp or space heater near the wall instead—just be sure it’s far enough away that it won’t pose a fire risk.^{[15]
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- If you can find an external vent, put down a fan heater blowing warm air into the vent. Pipes often run alongside ductwork, so forcing warm air into the ducts can quickly thaw any pipes that are nearby.
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Add salt to frozen drains where you can’t reach the pipe. Salt lowers the melting point of ice, causing it to melt at colder temperatures (this is why you salt a sidewalk after heavy snow). Pour a tablespoon (about 15 grams) of salt down the drain of the frozen pipe, and wait for it to thaw the frozen water in the pipe.^{[16]
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- You can try dissolving the salt in a ½ cup (120 mL) of warm water first, but adding hot water to frozen ice can burst the pipe. It’s fast if it works, but it’s probably not worth risking it.
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Cut a hole in the wall to reach pipes at risk of bursting. Unfortunately, this is often necessary to reach a frozen pipe before it bursts. Once you’ve narrowed down the likely area of the problem, use a keyhole saw or utility knife to cut a hole in the wall. Then, use any of the methods in this article to thaw the pipe and deal with the problem.^{[17]
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- Johns notes that this is a last resort option if you can’t unfreeze your pipes. Once you make the hole, make sure you don’t expose the pipe to any open flames, as he says this can be “very dangerous.”^{[18]
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- If this is a reoccurring problem, consider installing a cabinet door over the hole instead of fully repairing the wall so you can access the pipe more easily the next time this occurs.

Section 4 of 7:

What to Do if Your Pipe Bursts

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Turn off the water and call a plumber if you see a burst pipe. Search for cracks and leaks to confirm busted pipes. You might also see frozen rivulets of water on the outside of the pipe, or icicles hanging from the pipe. If you find an active leak, you’ve located the frozen (and unfortunately broken) pipe.^{[19]
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- Freezing water can cause pipes to crack from the change in pressure, usually splitting the pipe lengthwise or causing cracks in the joints.
- If you find a leak, close the main shut-off valve immediately. Call a plumber to replace the pipe, or fix it yourself if you are up to the task.

Section 5 of 7:

Safety Tips

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Follow these safety tips while you’re dealing with a burst pipe. Having a frozen pipe might feel like an emergency, but you should still take the time to deal with it safely. Follow these precautions to keep yourself (and your home) safe.
- Never use an open flame to heat a frozen pipe. This includes blowtorches, kerosene torches, and propane heaters. You can melt or burst the pipe, plus you run the risk of starting a fire.^{[20]
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- Use gentle heat to warm the pipe. If you heat the pipe up too fast, the abrupt change in temperature can cause it to crack.
- Don’t pour drain cleaner or other chemicals down your frozen pipe. A buildup of fumes or heat can burst the pipe.
- Don’t pour boiling water down the drain to thaw out the pipe. The temperature change and steam can cause the pipe to burst.
- Never leave your heat sources unattended, especially if you’re using a heater, heat gun, or other electric heat source.
- Do not use electric heat sources like blow dryers or space heaters if there is water on the ground.

Section 6 of 7:

When to Call a Professional

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Call a professional plumber if you can’t handle the problem on your own. If dealing with your frozen pipes feels too overwhelming, take a step back and bring in the pros—that’s what they’re there for. Just keep in mind that frozen pipes are fairly common in cold weather, so be patient if they have other calls to attend to first. Here’s when it might be a good idea to call:
- You can’t find the frozen pipe.
- You’ve tried, but can’t get the pipe to thaw out.
- You’re not comfortable trying to thaw the pipe yourself.
- The pipe is leaking or spraying water. (Shut off your main water line immediately, then call for help.)

Section 7 of 7:

Preventing Pipes from Freezing

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Insulate the pipes most likely to freeze. Balkan recommends wrapping exposed pipes with pipe insulation to keep them from freezing. “Just wrap the insulation in any place that a line is exposed where there isn’t any heat.”^{[21]
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David Balkan
Professional Plumber

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- If an electrical outlet is nearby, Balkan recommends wrapping the pipes in heat tape. Plug them in when cold weather arrives to keep the pipes warm enough not to freeze without making them hot.^{[22]
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- Don’t use rags or other material to cover the pipes. Only use pipe insulation that’s designed for the task.
Check your crawlspaces and external walls for holes and repair them to minimize exposure to cold air. Use wind barriers or faucet covers to protect faucets and valves on the exterior of the house.^{[23]
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Heat cold and unoccupied areas to avoid freezing temperatures. During cold weather, turn on a 60-watt incandescent light bulb near the area of the pipe that previously froze, or just below it. If used to warm crawl spaces and other unsupervised areas, make sure there are no flammable materials kept in the same space.^{[24]
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Official website for the State of Michigan

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- Don’t let your house temperature drop below 55 °F (13 °C) if you’re traveling or on vacation.^{[25]
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  Official site for state-approved sources related to life in Indiana, including laws, services, and culture
  
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Leave a trickle of water running during hard freezes. Balkan says that if you know you’re going to experience very cold weather, “keep the faucet running a little. Running water doesn’t freeze.”^{[26]
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- Balkan adds that this will keep your water meter running, although it’s an effective way to prevent frozen pipes.^{[27]
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  Professional Plumber
  
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Community Q&A

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Question

There is a small amount of water coming out of the faucet. We have an outside well. Where should I begin to look?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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If only a small amount of water is trickling out of the faucet, you already found the frozen pipe. Leave the water trickling to help thaw the pipe.

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If pipes are frozen should I turn the breaker off to the well?

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Yes. Shut the well pump off if a pipe is frozen. Just know, you won't have access to fresh water until the pipe thaws, so you may want to tackle the frozen pipes sooner rather than later.

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Our outdoor faucet was set to drip, but the next day it's not dripping and the faucet will not turn. What happened and what should we do?

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The "drip trick" doesn't work on outdoor spigots. Shut the water to that specific spigot off if you can. If you can't, just leave it alone and close the spigot once the faucet finally thaws.

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