Services ยท Winter
Frozen Pipe Thawing for Homes Across the GTA
When a tap gives a trickle and then nothing on a minus-twenty morning, the line is frozen but probably not yet split. Thawing it slowly is how you keep it that way.
- Pressure gauge held after every repair
- Openings kept small and tidy
- Leak pinned down before a wall is opened
Diagnosis first, tested after
- Licensed & insured: ask us
- Camera before cutting
- Water-tested repairs
- Booked by phone
Signs it is time to call
Pipes freeze where heat cannot reach: in outside walls behind kitchen sinks, along rim joists over unheated garages, in crawlspaces under additions and in the supply to an exterior hose bib. In the GTA it takes a few days well below freezing, usually with wind, before trouble starts. One dead fixture while the rest of the house works points to a local freeze; no water anywhere may mean the service line itself is frozen where it enters the foundation.
- Rime visible on a bare pipe
- A tap that sputters and dies
- A toilet that will not refill
- Strange whistling from a supply line
On the job, step by step
First the fixture on the frozen run is opened, giving meltwater an exit. Heat is applied starting nearest the tap and working toward the blockage, never from the middle, using a heat gun, warm cloths or a low-voltage pipe-thawing machine on metal lines. No open flame touches the pipe or the framing. As flow returns, we check every inch of the run for splits that a thaw can reveal, and add insulation, a heat cable rated for the purpose, or a reroute so the same spot is not frozen again a year from now.
GTA houses and what they change
Century homes in older neighbourhoods often have supply pipes run along stone foundation walls with no insulation. Postwar bungalows sometimes put the kitchen sink on an exterior wall with thin batt. Newer homes with garages under bedrooms run lines through the garage ceiling. Each has a different permanent fix, from foam sleeves to opening the wall and moving the pipe a few inches inward.
Before you pick up the phone
Ask whether the plumber will thaw without flame and whether they will inspect the line for damage after flow returns. When the entire house is dry, call (365) 387-8531 and tell us where your service enters.
Signs you need this
- Water bill climbs with no change in use
- Meter dial creeps with every tap closed
- Brown stains spreading on a ceiling below a bathroom
What is included
- Pressure gauge on a hose bibReads static pressure before and after
- Pipe cutter, torch and press jawsCopper repairs soldered or pressed
- Typical cause
- Corroded galvanized, pinholes, frozen runs, lead service
- Access point
- Basement ceiling, access panels, the meter
- Proof of fix
- Gauge holds, meter stops, joints dry
Common questions
Is a hair dryer safe for thawing?
On a pipe you can see, yes: tap open, start at the tap side. Keep it away from standing water and never leave it running unattended.
Is a dripping tap worth it overnight?
A thin, steady drip on a vulnerable line keeps water moving and relieves pressure. Opening the sink cabinet doors to let room air in helps too.