Frozen Pipes in Nashville: Prevention, Thawing and Fixes

Middle Tennessee winters are mild most of the time, which is exactly why hard freezes do so much damage. In plenty of local houses, plumbing runs through vented crawl spaces, along exterior walls and into unheated garages. When the temperature drops into the teens, those are the pipes that split. This guide pulls together Metro Water Services' (MWS) guidance on prevention and thawing, then covers the longer-term fixes worth doing when you remodel.

The pipes that freeze first

According to MWS, the pipes that freeze most often are:

• pipes exposed to severe cold: outdoor hose bibs, pool supply lines, sprinkler lines and backflow preventers;
• supply pipes in unheated interior areas: basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages and kitchen cabinets;
• pipes that run against exterior walls with little or no insulation.

Walk your house and find each of these before the first hard freeze.

Before a freeze: MWS's checklist

• Close garage doors if water lines run through the garage.
• Close crawl space vents and cover outdoor spigots.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warm air reaches the plumbing, and move cleaners and chemicals out of children's reach.
• Let cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes when it's very cold. MWS's fact sheet suggests a steady stream about the size of a pencil lead.
• Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night.
• If you're away, leave the heat on, no lower than 55°F.
• Drain seasonal irrigation systems, and insulate backflow preventers.

Find your shutoff now

Metro's winter pipes flyer says the shutoff valve may be in the basement, under the kitchen sink, in a utility closet, near the water heater, or under the house in the crawl space. Find it, test it, and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. If a pipe bursts, closing that valve fast is the difference between a wet floor and a gutted room.

If your only shutoff is deep in a crawl space, consider having a plumber add an accessible one inside the house.

Thawing a frozen pipe safely

MWS says to suspect a frozen pipe if you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out. Likely spots are against exterior walls or where the water service enters through the foundation.

1. Keep the faucet open. As the ice melts, running water helps melt the rest.
2. Apply gentle heat: an electric heating pad, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater kept away from anything flammable, or towels soaked in hot water.
3. Never use open flame. No blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, or charcoal stove.
4. Keep heating until full pressure returns.
5. Check every other faucet. If one pipe froze, others may have too.

If you can't find or reach the frozen section, or can't thaw it, call a licensed plumber. MWS notes it can't respond to private plumbing problems. Your home's own plumbing is your responsibility.

After a burst

• Shut off the water at the main.
• Turn off electricity to wet areas if it's safe to reach the panel.
• Photograph everything before cleanup.
• Get the water out fast and dry the structure. Wet drywall and insulation usually have to come out.
• Metro Codes treats weather-damage repairs, including new drywall and plumbing repairs, as permit work. See our after-storm permit guide.

Fixes worth doing when you remodel

Dripping faucets every cold snap is a workaround. When you're already opening walls or working under the house, these fix the cause:

• Seal the crawl space. An encapsulated crawl space with closed vents keeps pipes much closer to indoor temperature. See our encapsulation cost guide and basements and crawl spaces.
• Get supply lines out of exterior walls. During a kitchen or bathroom remodel, ask whether lines can run through interior walls or the floor instead.
• Insulate. Insulate pipes in unheated spaces, and insulate and air-seal the exterior walls and rim joists around them.
• Replace old hose bibs with freeze-resistant models, installed with the right slope.
• Move or protect the water heater if it's in an unheated garage or crawl space.
• Add an interior shutoff that's easy to reach.

All plumbing changes need a plumbing permit and a licensed plumber. Check licenses on Verify.