Quick answer: If a faucet gives only a trickle or nothing on a freezing morning, a pipe is likely frozen. Open the faucet, warm the frozen section slowly and never use an open flame. If you cannot find the frozen spot, it will not thaw, or a pipe has split, call our 24/7 line to get a licensed plumber.
Do this right now
- Open the faucet the frozen pipe feeds, so melting water can flow and relieve pressure.
- Warm the pipe slowly from the faucet end back with a hair dryer, a heating pad or warm towels.
- Never use a torch, open flame or a space heater left alone near the pipe.
If water starts spraying as it thaws, shut off the main valve and see burst pipe repair.
Frozen pipe: call now or can it wait?
A frozen pipe is a warning. A split pipe is an emergency. Use this check to tell them apart.
- Call now
A frozen pipe that has split or is leaking
Shut off the main valve and call now. The leak gets worse as it thaws. - Call now
A bulge or crack in a pipe with no water flowing
The pipe may burst as it thaws. Shut off the main valve and call. - Same day
No water at a faucet on a freezing morning
Open the faucet, warm the area gently and book a same-day visit if it does not thaw. - Can wait
Pipes in a cold spot, but water still runs
Let a faucet drip and insulate the pipe before the next cold night.
How to tell if a frozen pipe has already split
- Water drips or sprays from the pipe as it thaws
- Frost or ice is bulging out of a crack in the pipe
- A wet spot appears on a wall or ceiling once water flows again
- The water meter keeps moving with every faucet closed
A pipe can split while frozen and only leak once it thaws, so keep checking for an hour after the water returns.
Which pipes freeze first in Augusta-area homes?
| Location | Why it freezes |
|---|---|
| Crawl spaces | Open vents let cold air move around the pipes |
| Exterior walls | Little or no insulation between the pipe and outside air |
| Attics and garages | Unheated spaces |
| Outdoor faucets and irrigation lines | Fully exposed; hoses left connected trap water |
| Kitchen and bathroom sinks on outside walls | Cold air inside closed cabinets |
When to call instead of thawing it yourself
- You cannot find or reach the frozen section
- The pipe is inside a wall, ceiling or under the house
- Several fixtures have no water
- A pipe has split or is leaking
- Nothing has thawed after about an hour of gentle heat
Is a frozen pipe an emergency?
It is urgent. A frozen pipe can split and start leaking the moment it thaws, and you may have no water at some fixtures until then. Call right away if several fixtures have no water, the frozen section is inside a wall or under the house, or you see a crack or bulge in the pipe.
What the plumber does
- Finds the frozen section and thaws it safely with professional pipe-thawing equipment or controlled heat.
- Checks the pipe for splits under pressure.
- Repairs any damaged section.
- Suggests how to keep that pipe from freezing again: insulation, sealing gaps, heat cable or rerouting.
What changes the cost?
- How easy the frozen section is to reach
- Whether a pipe has split and needs repair
- Number of frozen lines
- Demand during a freeze, when many homes call at once (see how after-hours pricing works)
You get the price before work starts.
How often does Augusta freeze?
Augusta has mild winters, but freezing nights happen most years, usually between December and February. NOAA engineering weather data puts the median coldest night of the year at about 15°F. Many homes here were not built for long freezes, so a hard freeze of a night or two is enough to freeze pipes in crawl spaces and outside walls.
Stop it happening next freeze
Insulate exposed pipes, close crawl space vents, disconnect hoses and let a faucet drip on the coldest nights. The full checklist: how to prevent frozen pipes.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, engineering weather data for Augusta, GA (median extreme low 15°F).
