# BurstPipes.ca

> Frozen and burst pipes in Canadian homes — the physics of the split, the places pipes freeze, and how to keep yours whole. BurstPipes.ca is part of the HAUSE Home network — an independent Canadian information and service-request network (not a contractor). Contact: info@hause.ca, 403-679-3100.

A burst pipe in winter is usually a frozen pipe first. Ice seals the line at its coldest point, the water trapped between the ice and a closed tap is squeezed as freezing continues, and the pipe splits where there is no ice. Heat, sealed drafts, insulation, a pencil-thin stream in cold snaps and drained outdoor taps prevent it.

## Guides

### Find It
- [How to tell if a pipe is frozen, and find the frozen section](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/how-to-tell-if-a-pipe-is-frozen/): 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.
- [Where pipes freeze in a house, and why the same one freezes every winter](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/where-pipes-freeze-in-a-house/): 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
- [How long does it take pipes to freeze?](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/how-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.
- [What temperature do pipes freeze at?](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/what-temperature-do-pipes-freeze/): 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.
- [Why frozen pipes burst: it is the trapped water, not the ice](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/why-frozen-pipes-burst/): 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
- [Frozen water service lines and meters: why they freeze and who handles it](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/frozen-water-service-lines-and-meters/): 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.
- [Pipe materials and freezing: which pipes survive a freeze?](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/pipe-materials-and-freezing/): 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
- [Does dripping a tap prevent frozen pipes?](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/does-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.
- [Frozen outdoor taps and frost-free sillcocks](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/frozen-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.
- [Frozen pipe prevention checklist: the cheap steps, in order](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/frozen-pipe-prevention-checklist/): 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.
- [How to keep pipes from freezing when you are away, at the cottage or without power](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/keep-pipes-from-freezing-when-away/): 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.
- [Pipe insulation and heat cable: slowing the cold versus adding heat](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/pipe-insulation-and-heat-cable/): 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
- [How to thaw frozen pipes safely](https://burstpipes.ca/guides/how-to-thaw-frozen-pipes-safely/): How to thaw frozen pipes safely: open the tap, find the main shut-off, warm gently from the tap end back, and never use an open flame. Methods compared.

## Tools, costs and reference
- [What it costs to prevent frozen pipes (and to thaw one)](https://burstpipes.ca/costs/frozen-pipe-prevention-cost/): 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.
- [How Fast Could This Pipe Freeze?](https://burstpipes.ca/tools/how-fast-can-a-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.
- [Pipe Freeze Risk Checker](https://burstpipes.ca/tools/pipe-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.
- [Frozen pipes across Canada: how cold snaps differ by region](https://burstpipes.ca/canada/): 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.
- [Frozen and burst pipe glossary](https://burstpipes.ca/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.
- [Frozen and burst pipe questions, answered](https://burstpipes.ca/faq/): Answers to common frozen pipe questions in Canada: why pipes burst, when they freeze, safe thawing, dripping taps, outdoor taps, service lines and insurance.

## Network

## Optional
- [Full text for language models](https://burstpipes.ca/llms-full.txt)
- [Editorial standards](https://burstpipes.ca/about/)