Frozen Pipe Thawing & Repair in Toronto & the GTA
Toronto winters freeze pipes in predictable places: the outside wall behind a kitchen sink, an unheated garage or crawlspace, a hose bib that was not drained, the service line from the street in a house with a shallow connection. The freeze itself rarely does the damage. Water expanding inside the pipe splits it, and the leak appears when it thaws.
Call us and our assistant confirms where the water has stopped and your postal code, then connects you live to a plumber who is available now. During a deep cold snap, calling early matters: the longer a pipe stays frozen, the more likely it splits.
When it can’t wait
- A pipe has already split and water is running. Shut off the main valve first.
- There is no water anywhere in the house. The service line from the street may be frozen; in Toronto, that is reported to 311 as well.
- You can see frost or ice on an exposed pipe, or a pipe is bulging.
- The frozen section is in a wall or ceiling where you cannot reach it, and the temperature is not going to rise for days.
Any of these: call now. (437) 523-7772
Common frozen pipes problems
No water at one fixture
The pipe feeding it runs through a cold spot: an exterior wall, a floor over an unheated space, a cabinet against the outside. The rest of the house works, which is the clue.
No water anywhere
Either the main pipe inside the house has frozen near where it enters, or the service line outside has. The meter and the first metre of pipe are where the plumber looks first.
Outdoor hose bib
A tap left connected to a hose in autumn holds water that freezes and splits the pipe just inside the wall. The leak often shows up in spring, inside the house, the first time the tap is used.
Pipe that split while thawing
Ice held the split closed; as it melts, the leak starts. This is why a frozen pipe is thawed with the main valve within reach and someone watching.
Repeated freezing every winter
A design problem rather than a weather one. Re-routing the pipe, insulating it, or heating the space fixes it permanently; thawing it does not.
Before the plumber arrives
- Find the main shutoff valve and make sure it turns. If a pipe has already split, close it now.
- Open the frozen tap slightly. As the ice thaws, the flow relieves pressure and shows you it is working.
- Warm the room: open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls, and let heat reach the pipe. A hair dryer or warm towels on an exposed pipe are safe. Never use an open flame, a heat gun on high, or anything near insulation.
- Do not leave a thawing pipe unattended. If it has split, water starts the moment the ice lets go.
- Check other taps and note which work; it tells the plumber where the freeze is.
What affects the cost
We do not quote prices; the plumber you are connected to does, before the work starts. These are the things that move the number.
Where the freeze is
An exposed pipe in a basement thaws quickly. A pipe inside a finished wall or under a slab may need the wall opened or specialised thawing equipment.
Whether it split
A pipe that thaws intact needs no repair, only prevention. A split section is cut out and replaced, and the wall it lives in is made good afterward.
Preventing the next one
Insulating, re-routing, or adding heat tracing costs more than thawing once, and less than thawing every January.
Time of day
Frozen pipes happen on the coldest nights. Plumbers set their own rates and many charge more overnight; the plumber you are connected to quotes you before starting.
Licensing and safety
Repairing or re-routing a water pipe is plumbing work, a compulsory trade in Ontario requiring a Skilled Trades Ontario certificate of qualification (306A). Every plumber in our network agrees in writing to hold the licences and insurance the province requires; ask for the number.
If the frozen pipe is the water service line between the street and your house, the City of Toronto thaws the public portion and, in a prolonged freeze, may thaw the private portion too. Call 311 as well as a plumber; the plumber will tell you which side is frozen.
Questions about frozen pipes
Can I thaw a frozen pipe myself?
If the pipe is exposed and you can see it, yes, carefully: open the tap, warm the room, and use a hair dryer or warm towels along the pipe, working from the tap toward the frozen section. Never use a torch or open flame. Stay with it, and have the main shutoff within reach in case the pipe has split.
How do I know if the pipe has burst?
You usually find out when it thaws: water appears where it should not, or you hear it running inside a wall. A bulge or a visible crack in an exposed pipe is a burst waiting for the ice to melt. If you see either, shut off the main and call rather than thawing further.
There is no water in the whole house. Is that a frozen pipe?
In a cold snap, very likely. Either the main pipe has frozen where it enters the basement, or the service line outside has. Check the pipe near the meter for frost. Call us, and also report it to Toronto 311, because the City handles the portion of the service line under the street.
How do I stop pipes freezing again?
Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses before the first frost. Keep cabinet doors on outside walls open on the coldest nights and let the tap drip. Insulate exposed pipes in garages and crawlspaces. If the same pipe freezes every year, ask the plumber about re-routing it; that is the only permanent fix.
Do you thaw pipes yourselves?
No. 2plumbers.ca is a live call-connection service run by PatchLead. We confirm where the freeze is and your location, then connect you on the same call to an independent plumber from our network who does the work and quotes you directly. You pay nothing to use the service.