Frozen Pipe Repair in Ottawa — Safe Thawing & Burst Pipe Repairs, 24/7

Water expands by about 9% when it freezes. As ice forms in a pipe, it pushes water toward the closed tap, and pressure builds between the ice and the fixture. That pressure — not the ice itself — usually splits the pipe.

That's why opening the tap on a frozen line helps: it gives the pressure somewhere to go.

No water or only a trickle from one tap while others work, frost on an exposed pipe, a bulge in the pipe, or a strange smell from a drain on a very cold morning are all common signs.

If one fixture is affected, the freeze is likely in its branch line. If the whole house has no water, the main service may be frozen — call us and the City of Ottawa 311.

Open the affected tap. Start warming the pipe closest to the tap and work back toward the frozen section. Use a hair dryer, heating pad or warm towels.

Never use a torch, propane heater or any open flame. Fires inside walls are a real and recurring cause of winter house fires. If you can't reach the frozen section, call a plumber.

Shut off the main water valve immediately. Turn off electricity to any area where water is near outlets or appliances, if you can do so safely. Open taps to drain the system.

Move valuables, take photos for your insurer and call our 24/7 line. Fast action limits water damage and mould risk.

Before the first hard frost, disconnect garden hoses, shut off the interior valve to each outdoor tap and open the outdoor tap to drain it.

A frost-free hose bib places the valve inside the heated wall so water drains out of the exposed section. It's an inexpensive upgrade that prevents one of the most common spring leak discoveries.

Foam pipe insulation helps slow heat loss but won't stop a freeze on its own in a very cold space. In garages, crawl spaces and cottages, a thermostatically controlled heat cable under insulation keeps pipes above freezing.

Use only heat cable approved for the pipe material and installed according to manufacturer instructions. We install and test heat cable as part of our winter protection service.

When a pipe freezes every winter, the permanent fix is to move it. Rerouting a kitchen supply from an exterior wall to an interior chase, or insulating the wall cavity properly, ends the cycle.

We'll discuss rerouting during any repeat freeze call, especially during renovations when walls are already open.

Keep the thermostat at a steady temperature day and night during cold snaps, and don't let it drop very low when you're away. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors on exterior walls to let warm air reach the pipes.

Close garage doors and seal drafts near water lines. Even a small draft from a foundation crack can freeze a pipe.

If you leave for more than a few days, keep the heat on and ask someone to check the house daily. For longer trips, consider shutting off the main valve and draining the lines.

Many home insurance policies require that the home be checked regularly or that water be shut off during extended absences. Read your policy before you go.

Inexpensive Wi-Fi sensors placed near the water heater, under sinks and beside the sump pit can alert your phone to water or freezing temperatures.

An automatic shut-off valve on the main line can close the water supply when a leak is detected, limiting damage when no one is home.

In extreme cold, frost can build up at the top of a plumbing vent stack and partially block it, causing gurgling drains and slow flushing. Condensate lines from high-efficiency furnaces can also freeze outdoors.

We can diagnose and clear frozen drains and vents and recommend changes to prevent repeat issues.

Most policies cover sudden and accidental water damage from a burst pipe, but may exclude damage from a lack of maintenance or an unheated vacant home. Document everything with photos and keep receipts.

We provide a written description of the cause and repair to support your claim.

Landlords in Ontario are responsible for maintaining plumbing in good repair, and tenants should report signs of freezing right away. A unit left cold during a vacancy is especially vulnerable.

We help property owners winterize vacant units, install heat cable on vulnerable lines and respond to tenant calls during cold snaps, with a written report of the cause and repair.

Seasonal properties in the Ottawa Valley need a proper winterization: shutting off and draining the supply, blowing out lines, adding plumbing antifreeze to traps and draining the water heater.

We winterize and de-winterize cottages and rural homes in the region so you can close up in the fall and open in spring without surprises.

PEX tubing can stretch slightly and often survives a freeze better than copper, but its brass or plastic fittings can still crack. Copper and galvanized steel pipes are more likely to split along the pipe.

No material is freeze-proof. The real protection is keeping pipes inside the heated envelope of the home and insulating any that can't be moved.

Many Ottawa kitchens put the sink under a window on an exterior wall. During cold snaps, open the cabinet doors and keep a slow drip on the tap at night.

If the line freezes every winter, we can insulate the wall cavity during a repair or reroute the supply through the floor to an interior path.