Plumbing service
Burst pipe and frozen pipe repair
A burst pipe is usually two problems: the split you can see and the reason it split. We remove the split length and fit proper fittings, and deal with the cold spot or pressure that caused it.
- Common locations: Exterior walls, unheated crawlspaces, garage ceilings, hose bib lines
- Typical pipe: Copper, PEX or older galvanized
- Repair method: Cut out, replace section, solder or press fittings
- Prevention: Insulate, relocate, or heat the space
- Licensed, insured trade work (details confirmed when you call)
- Diagnosis before anything is cut
- Emergency calls taken
- Etobicoke and the west end
At a glance
- Common locations
- Exterior walls, unheated crawlspaces, garage ceilings, hose bib lines
- Typical pipe
- Copper, PEX or older galvanized
- Repair method
- Cut out, replace section, solder or press fittings
- Prevention
- Insulate, relocate, or heat the space
How pipes freeze in Etobicoke houses
Bungalows from the 1950s often have kitchen supply lines running inside an exterior wall with little insulation. Split-levels have pipes over unheated garages. When a polar vortex settles in, those stretches drop below freezing, the water expands, and the pipe splits, usually somewhere you cannot see.
- The leak often appears when the pipe thaws, not when it freezes.
- That is why a burst is so often discovered in the afternoon after a bitterly cold night.
The repair
We open the drywall or ceiling just wide enough to reach the split, trim past the damage until clean, round pipe shows either side of the split, and install a new section. Copper is soldered or joined with press fittings; PEX is connected with crimp or expansion fittings rated for it.
- If the pipe is frozen elsewhere, we thaw it gently with warm air rather than an open flame near framing.
Making sure it does not happen again
Insulation alone does not stop a pipe freezing if cold air blows across it from a gap in the rim joist. We look for the draft, seal what we can reach, and recommend moving the pipe to the warm side of the insulation when it keeps failing.
- For outdoor taps, a frost-free hose bib whose shut-off seat sits back inside the warm wall solves the most common winter call we get.
Signs to watch for
- No water at one tap during a cold snap
- Frost on a pipe in a crawlspace
- A bulge or hairline split on copper
- Stain spreading on drywall near an exterior wall
- Sound of running water when all taps are off
How the job runs
Stop and drain
Main valve off, lines drained.
Open and cut
We expose the burst and cut back to sound pipe.
Replace the section
New pipe and fittings go in.
Fix the cause
Air leaks sealed, insulation or rerouting as needed.