Frozen, Not Burst — Yet
Frozen Pipe Help & Repair in NYC
A frozen pipe is a warning, not a flood. Thaw it safely, find your main shutoff in case it split, and call if you can't reach the frozen section.
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My pipe is frozen — what should I do right now?
Open the faucet it feeds so melting ice has somewhere to go, then warm the pipe gently with a hair dryer, an electric heating pad, a space heater kept away from anything flammable, or towels soaked in hot water. Never use a torch or any open flame. Find your main shutoff before the pipe thaws in case it has split, and call if you can't find or reach the frozen section.
At a Glance
- Service
- Frozen Pipe Help & Repair in NYC
- Provided by
- Urgent Plumber NYC
- Where
- All five NYC boroughs — Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island
- When
- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays
Last updated
When a faucet gives a thin trickle or nothing at all on a freezing morning while the rest of the home still has water, the likeliest explanation is ice inside a pipe. That's the better version of this problem: the pipe hasn't burst, nothing is flooding, and there's still time to deal with it on your terms.
The danger is what comes next. Water expands as it freezes, and that pressure can split copper, steel, or plastic pipe without any visible sign. The leak often starts only when the ice melts and pressure returns — which is why the steps below focus on thawing safely and checking for a split before full flow comes back. If water is already spraying or pooling, go straight to Burst Pipe Repair.
Thawing a Frozen Pipe Safely
- Open the faucet the frozen pipe feeds so melting water and vapor have a way out as the ice softens.
- Find the frozen section: follow the pipe back from that faucet toward an exterior wall, an unheated space, or a draft. Frost on the pipe, or a stretch that feels much colder than the rest, usually marks the spot.
- Warm that section gently with an electric heating pad, a hair dryer, a portable space heater kept away from anything flammable, or towels soaked in hot water. Keep electric heat away from any water.
- Keep going until full water pressure returns, then check every other faucet. If one pipe froze, others in the same wall or space may have too.
- Watch the thawed pipe and the wall or ceiling around it as pressure comes back. If you see water, close the main shutoff and call.
What Never To Use on a Frozen Pipe
- No blowtorch, propane or kerosene heater, charcoal stove, or any other open flame. NYC Emergency Management warns that an open flame can start a fire or cause a steam explosion.
- Don't leave a space heater running unattended, or near curtains, boxes, or anything else that can catch fire.
- Don't close the faucet while you thaw. The open faucet is what relieves pressure as the ice melts.
- Don't hit the pipe or chip at the ice. Frozen pipe is brittle, and a split is exactly what you're trying to avoid.
- Don't cut into a wall or ceiling to reach a frozen section yourself. If you can't reach it, call.
- Don't assume everything is fine once water flows again. Watch the thawed spot for drips.
Signs a Pipe Is Frozen
A faucet that trickles or won't run
Especially one on an exterior wall, while other fixtures in the home work normally.
Frost on an exposed pipe
Visible frost or a heavy chill on pipe in a basement, crawl space, garage, or sink cabinet.
A toilet that won't refill
The supply line to that toilet may be frozen, particularly if it runs along an outside wall.
No water anywhere during a hard freeze
The main line or the area around the water meter may have frozen. If the meter itself is cracked or damaged, report it to 311; frozen pipes on your side of the meter are a plumbing call.
Where Pipes Freeze in NYC Homes and Buildings
Kitchens and bathrooms on exterior walls
Supply lines inside a sink cabinet on an outside wall are among the most common freeze points in NYC apartments and houses.
Unheated basements, crawl spaces, and garages
Common in Queens and Staten Island houses, where supply lines pass through spaces the heating system never reaches.
Outdoor hose connections
A hose bib that wasn't shut off and drained in the fall can freeze and split the pipe inside the wall behind it.
Empty units and low heat
An apartment left empty over a holiday, or a building whose heat drops overnight, can get cold enough for exposed pipes to freeze.
Drafts
Pipes near vents, gaps around old windows, or openings where cold air gets in can freeze even in an otherwise heated room.
What a Plumber Does With a Frozen Pipe
Find the frozen section
Traced from the affected fixture back through walls, cabinets, and unheated spaces.
Thaw it with controlled heat
Never open flame. The goal is to restore flow without putting more stress on the pipe.
Check for splits before full pressure returns
A pipe that froze can crack without showing it until pressure comes back, so the thawed section is checked before the water is fully restored.
Repair it and prevent a repeat
Any split section is repaired, and you get options to stop it happening again, such as insulating the run or moving it away from a cold wall.
Before the Next Cold Snap
Most frozen pipes are preventable, and prevention costs less than any repair. Insulate exposed supply pipes in basements, crawl spaces, and garages; shut off and drain outdoor hose connections before winter; and seal drafts near pipe runs.
When a hard freeze is forecast, open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so room heat can reach the pipes, and let the cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes — even a trickle helps keep water from freezing. If you'll be away, the American Red Cross recommends leaving the heat on at no lower than 55°F. And find your main shutoff now, before you need it.
What Affects the Cost of Frozen Pipe Repair
- Whether the pipe split
- Thawing an intact pipe is a shorter visit than thawing it and then repairing a crack.
- Where the frozen section is
- Exposed pipe under a sink or in a basement is quicker to reach than a section inside a finished wall, ceiling, or crawl space.
- How many lines froze
- A cold wall often freezes more than one supply line, and each one has to be thawed and checked.
- Prevention work
- Insulating a pipe run or moving it away from a cold wall is optional work that adds to the visit but lowers the chance of a repeat.
- When you call
- Overnight, weekend, and holiday calls are typically priced differently from a weekday visit — and cold snaps often hit overnight.
Tenants, Landlords, and Heat Season
In NYC, building owners must provide heat from October 1 through May 31: at least 68°F indoors between 6am and 10pm when it's below 55°F outside, and at least 62°F overnight regardless of the outdoor temperature. Pipes inside a properly heated apartment rarely freeze. If yours froze because the heat was out or kept too low, that's a building problem as much as a plumbing one.
Tell your super or landlord right away — a frozen pipe in one apartment often means others on the same wall are at risk. If heat isn't restored, you can report it to 311. For the heating side, see Urgent Boiler Repair. This is general public information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Very likely, especially if it's on an exterior wall or near an unheated space and other fixtures still work normally. Leave that faucet open, warm the area gently, and find your main shutoff in case the pipe cracked. Call if you can't locate the frozen section.
No. NYC Emergency Management warns that an open flame can start a fire or cause a steam explosion, and it can overheat the pipe itself. Use a hair dryer, an electric heating pad, a space heater kept away from anything flammable, or hot towels — and call if the frozen section is out of reach.
No. Many frozen pipes thaw without damage. But ice can split a pipe without any visible sign, and the leak shows up only when the pipe thaws and pressure returns. That's why it's worth watching the thawed section closely, and why a frozen pipe inside a wall is worth having checked.
It depends on how cold the space is, how much of the pipe froze, and what heat you're using. An exposed pipe under a sink can thaw fairly quickly with a hair dryer; a section inside a cold exterior wall can take much longer. If you can't find or reach it, call.
Yes, for faucets on exterior walls or fed by exposed pipes. The American Red Cross recommends letting the cold water drip — even a trickle keeps water moving, so it's less likely to freeze.
Heat is the building owner's responsibility during NYC's Heat Season (October 1 to May 31). Tell your super or landlord right away, and if heat isn't restored, report it to 311. Who pays for a repair depends on your lease and what failed. This is general information, not legal advice.
If the meter itself is cracked or damaged, report it to 311. For frozen or split pipes on your side of the meter, call a plumber.
Official Sources
Pipe frozen? Don't wait for it to thaw on its own.
Keep the faucet open, find your main shutoff, and call — especially if you can't reach the frozen section.
Copy the number and the message template above to text us from your phone.