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Find It
2 guidesHow to tell if a pipe is frozen, and find the frozen section
How to tell if a pipe is frozen: which taps stop, frost on the line, a toilet that will not refill, and how to trace the ice before you start thawing it.
Find ItWhere pipes freeze in a house, and why the same one freezes every winter
Where pipes freeze in a house: hose bibs, attics, crawlspaces, garages, cantilevers, exterior walls and sink cabinets, ranked, with a fix for each cold spot.
Freeze Science
3 guidesHow long does it take pipes to freeze?
How long does it take pipes to freeze? Model times for ½, ¾ and 1-inch pipe by air temperature, drafts and foam, and why a pipe can freeze overnight.
Freeze ScienceWhat temperature do pipes freeze at?
What temperature do pipes freeze at? Water freezes at 0 °C, but the outdoor cold, wind, duration and heat at the pipe decide when yours actually will.
Freeze ScienceWhy frozen pipes burst: it is the trapped water, not the ice
Why frozen pipes burst: an ice plug seals the line, the water trapped behind it is squeezed as freezing continues, and the pipe splits where there is no ice.
Pipes & Lines
2 guidesFrozen water service lines and meters: why they freeze and who handles it
Frozen water service lines and meters: why buried services freeze, how to tell, why not to thaw them yourself, and how cities split the responsibility.
Pipes & LinesPipe materials and freezing: which pipes survive a freeze?
How pipe materials handle freezing: copper splits, PEX stretches but its fittings can fail, CPVC cracks, and poly-B and galvanized lines have their own risks.
Prevent
5 guidesDoes dripping a tap prevent frozen pipes?
Does dripping a tap prevent frozen pipes? Yes, if it is a steady pencil-thin trickle from the right tap. Why a slow drip fails, which tap to open, the cost.
PreventFrozen outdoor taps and frost-free sillcocks
Frozen outdoor taps and frost-free sillcocks: why hose bibs split, how to shut off and drain one from inside, and why a hose left on defeats a frost-free tap.
PreventFrozen pipe prevention checklist: the cheap steps, in order
A frozen pipe prevention checklist for Canadian homes: fall tasks, what to do when a cold snap is forecast, during it and after, mostly free or under $50.
PreventHow to keep pipes from freezing when you are away, at the cottage or without power
Keep pipes from freezing when away: heat and checks for short trips, shutting off and draining vacant homes and cottages, and what to do in a power outage.
PreventPipe insulation and heat cable: slowing the cold versus adding heat
Pipe insulation and heat cable for frozen pipes: how much time foam buys, when a pipe needs heat, self-regulating versus constant-wattage cable, and safety.
Thaw
1 guidesTools, costs & reference
6 pagesWhat it costs to prevent frozen pipes (and to thaw one)
Cost to prevent frozen pipes in Canada: foam, air sealing, heat cable, frost-free sillcocks, rerouting and a thaw call-out, as CAD 2026 planning estimates.
ToolsHow Fast Could This Pipe Freeze?
How Fast Could This Pipe Freeze? A pipe freeze time calculator for pipe size, foam, air temperature, drafts and water temperature, with the model shown.
ToolsPipe Freeze Risk Checker
Pipe Freeze Risk Checker: score one pipe from the forecast low, cold duration, location, protection, house heat, drafts and history, and get the actions.
Across CanadaFrozen pipes across Canada: how cold snaps differ by region
Frozen pipes across Canada: how cold snaps, snow cover, chinooks and freeze-thaw cycles change pipe risk from BC to the Atlantic, with what cities advise.
ReferenceFrozen and burst pipe glossary
Plain-language glossary of frozen pipe terms: ice plugs, hoop stress, latent heat, frost depth, curb stops, frost-free sillcocks, heat cable, PEX and poly-B.
ReferenceFrozen and burst pipe questions, answered
Answers to common frozen pipe questions in Canada: why pipes burst, when they freeze, safe thawing, dripping taps, outdoor taps, service lines and insurance.
Describe the problem once. Get a straight answer.
Tell us what you are seeing — when it happens, where, the age of the house and anything you have already been told or quoted. The HAUSE Home desk replies with next steps and, where available, a local contractor for the job.
Pipe frozen right now? Open the faucet it feeds, warm the pipe gently from the faucet end back — hair dryer or warm towels, never an open flame — and shut off the main water valve at once if you see a split or leak.