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Frozen pipes in Northeast Ohio: how to prevent them, thaw them safely, and what to do if one bursts

Raber HVAC

Unprotected pipes generally start to freeze once it is 20 F or colder outside, according to IBHS, and Northeast Ohio averages dozens of such days a year. Protect pipes in outside walls, garages and crawl spaces, thaw a frozen one with gentle electric heat, never a flame, and if one bursts, close the main shutoff and call a plumber.

At what temperature do pipes freeze?

Unprotected pipes generally start to freeze when the outdoor temperature drops to 20 F, the International Code Council says, citing IBHS (the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety).

Treat 20 F as a warning, not a guarantee. The ICC says pipes in uninsulated spaces are especially vulnerable where cracks let cold outside air flow across them, so check for drafts, not just the forecast. Cleveland Water's winterizing page warns that pipes and the meter can freeze once it drops below freezing, especially in older homes or where plumbing has frozen before, and one hard overnight freeze can burst an outdoor spigot or the pipe behind it.

Here, 20 F is routine. From NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals:

Weather station Days a year with a low at or below 20 F Low at or below 0 F
Cleveland Hopkins airport about 38 about 3
Akron-Canton airport about 46 about 3

Which pipes freeze first in Northeast Ohio houses?

The ones closest to outside air. The American Red Cross lists hose bibs (outdoor faucets), pipes in unheated basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages and kitchen cabinets, and pipes against poorly insulated exterior walls.

  • Outdoor faucets. IBHS says homes built before 2010 typically lack frost-proof outdoor faucets.
  • Attached garages. Keep the door closed if water lines run through it, the Red Cross says.
  • Crawl spaces. IBHS recommends covering ventilated crawl spaces for winter, but leave open any vent a furnace or water heater there uses; Cleveland Water warns not to plug vents appliances need.
  • Hot water lines too. Texas A&M notes a hot line can freeze like a cold one when its water is not moving and has cooled.

How can I tell a pipe is frozen?

If a faucet gives only a trickle in cold weather, the Red Cross says to suspect a frozen pipe. Cleveland Water's winterizing brochure adds low or no pressure, frost on the pipe, or a slight bulge.

  • One faucet affected: the freeze is most likely on that fixture's line, often along an outside wall.
  • No water anywhere: suspect the meter, which Cleveland Water warns can freeze, or the pipe where the service comes through the foundation, a spot the Red Cross names. If the neighbors have no water either, call your water utility. A frozen Cleveland Water meter must be replaced by the utility, for a fee, to restore service.
  • Check every faucet. If one pipe freezes, others may too.
  • Expect a leak when it thaws, and not only at the frozen spot. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension warns a frozen pipe may already be broken and will leak as it thaws. The ICC, citing IBHS, explains that pressure builds between the ice and a closed faucet, so the pipe often bursts where there is little or no ice. Treat a bulge as possible damage too.

How do I thaw a frozen pipe safely?

Open the faucet, warm the frozen section with gentle electric heat or hot towels, and keep going until full pressure returns. Never use a flame. If you cannot find, reach or thaw the frozen section, call a plumber.

  1. Be ready to close the main shutoff in case the pipe leaks as it thaws.
  2. Open the faucet the pipe feeds. Cleveland Water says this relieves pressure, and moving water melts the remaining ice.
  3. Warm the room and the pipe with the methods below, keeping cords out of water.
Heat source Use it? Source and notes
Electric hair dryer Yes Red Cross, Cleveland Water
Electric heating pad on the pipe Yes Red Cross, Cleveland Water. Low setting, stay with it, keep the pad dry, and unplug it as soon as the pipe drips
Electric blanket on the pipe With care Cleveland Water lists it, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission says never fold one in use because folded blankets may overheat. Lay it over the pipe without wrapping or bunching it, stay with it, and unplug it before the pipe drips; a heating pad is the better choice
Towels soaked in hot water Yes Red Cross
Raising the thermostat Yes Cleveland Water
Portable electric space heater With care Red Cross. The U.S. Fire Administration says keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away, and turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed; its portable heater flyer also says to set it on a solid, flat surface and plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip. If the cord will not reach an outlet, use a hair dryer or heating pad instead
Blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, any open flame Never Serious fire hazard and carbon monoxide; a flame can also damage the pipe

If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone outside, call 911 from a safe place, and stay out until a firefighter or other qualified professional says it is safe, Enbridge Gas advises.

What should I do if a pipe bursts?

Shut off the water at the main valve if you can reach it without stepping into water near electricity, then call a plumber. University of Illinois Extension says a crack an eighth of an inch wide can release up to 250 gallons a day.

  1. Close the main shutoff if you can reach it safely, usually in the basement or crawl space near the meter, Cleveland Water says. If getting to it means walking through water near outlets, cords or the electrical panel, stay out and call for help instead; Illinois Extension warns of shock around standing water. A wheel handle (gate valve) turns clockwise, sometimes two or more full turns; a lever (ball valve) turns a quarter turn to sit across the pipe, the City of Hamilton, Ohio explains.
  2. Leave a furnace, water heater or electrical panel that stood in water alone. Do not relight a pilot, restart the furnace or reset breakers until a technician has checked them. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says a gas control valve, breaker, GFCI or fuse that has been under water must be replaced: silt and corrosion can make it fail, and leaking gas can cause an explosion or fire. Do not touch a wet panel; call your electric utility to cut the power.
  3. Call a plumber and your insurance agent. Document the damage; IBHS notes insurers ask you to itemize losses.
  4. Know whose pipe it is. Cleveland Water customers are responsible for repairs from the curb stop (a shutoff usually in the tree lawn or driveway) into the house, including a frozen or broken meter; the utility handles the main through the curb stop. Water coming up in the street or tree lawn may be a main break or leak: call Cleveland Water's 24/7 emergency line, (216) 664-3060. If another utility supplies your water, its rules and number may differ.

How do I keep pipes from freezing for good?

Get the pipe out of the cold, or put heat where it is. The ICC quotes plumbing code commentary: insulation without a heat source cannot protect a pipe from freezing, it only slows heat loss.

During a cold snap

  • Find the main shutoff now. Cleveland Water advises knowing where it is and how to use it.
  • Let a thin stream run. The Red Cross says drip cold water from a faucet served by exposed pipes; Cleveland Water says run a stream about as thin as a pencil lead from the faucet farthest from the meter.
  • Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls, after moving cleaners out of children's reach.
  • Skip the nighttime setback. The Red Cross advises the same thermostat setting day and night.

Permanent fixes

Fix What it does The catch Who does it
Seal gaps and cracks near pipes Stops cold air flowing over them Do not block vents appliances need You
Foam pipe insulation, no gaps Slows heat loss Cannot stop a freeze alone; never put it over heat cable You
UL listed heat cable Adds heat GFCI (ground-fault circuit-interrupter) outlet, yearly check, cable directly on the pipe, never overlapped on itself or covered with insulation unless the maker allows, and then only nonflammable insulation such as fiberglass, never foam or vinyl (CPSC 1996 guidelines) You, following the maker's current instructions; a new outlet is an electrician's job
Frost-proof outdoor faucet Puts the shutoff inside the heated house Drains only with the hose off and the faucet pitched slightly down toward the spout A plumber
Reroute the line into heated space Takes the pipe out of the cold Means opening walls or ceilings A plumber

Outdoor faucets. For an ordinary faucet, the Red Cross says close the inside valve, open the outside faucet to drain, and leave it open. For a frost-proof one, remove the hose: one maker, Woodford, warns a hose traps water, so the tube between the shutoff and the spout can split unseen and not leak until the faucet is next turned on.

Rerouting. We do repipes in PEX or copper, and a repipe or remodel with walls already open is the easiest time to bring exposed runs inside.

What should I do before leaving the house in winter?

Leave the heat at 55 F or higher, and on a longer trip, shut the water off at the main. The Red Cross, IBHS, Cleveland Water and Illinois Extension all agree on 55 F.

  • Shut the main on longer trips. Cleveland Water says after several days away; IBHS says over a week in subfreezing weather, closing the main slowly and letting a couple of lowest floor faucets drain.
  • Have someone check daily that the heat is on, as Illinois Extension suggests.

When to call Raber HVAC

Call us when a pipe will not thaw or the frozen section is inside a wall. Plumbing and heating are done in house by the same crew, so the furnace that quit and the pipe it froze are one call.

  • Active leak, or no heat in freezing weather: call the 24/7 emergency line at (216) 888-4822. IBHS notes a broken heating system can cause pipes to freeze.
  • Work that can wait, such as moving a line out of an outside wall: call the office, open every day 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, or book online and pick a day and an arrival window; the office calls to confirm.

Sources

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