“No water at six in the morning in a cold snap. The plumber thawed the line under the kitchen and wrapped the run where it meets the garage wall. It has not frozen since.”
Marlene S.Homeowner, Waite Park
Plumber for frozen and burst pipes, St. Cloud
The pipe froze in January. It lets go in March.
Ice holds a split pipe shut until the thaw, and then the water comes. We thaw frozen lines, repair the split and look for the next weak spot, in St. Cloud and the towns around it.
- Licensed and insured, number in the footer
- Written price before work starts
- A plumber answers, day and night
- Thaw weeks, March and AprilActive leaks first
- Nights and weekendsA plumber picks up
- Water running now?Shut the main, then call (320) 555-0100
Winter pipe watch
Three jobs for a cold night
Pipes freeze first where the cold reaches them: an outside wall, a crawl space, a garage, the cabinet against the foundation. Each of these takes an evening.
Insulate
Wrap pipes in unheated spaces with foam sleeves, and close the gaps where lines pass through the wall or the rim joist.
Start with pipes on outside walls, in the crawl space and in the garage
Unhook hoses and close the shutoff to outside faucets
Let it drip
On a night well below freezing, open the cold tap farthest from where the water enters the house to a thin steady stream. Open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls.
Moving water is slower to freeze
An open tap lets pressure out if ice forms
Find the shutoff
Know where the main is, and that it turns, before the night you need it. Turn it off and on once a year so it doesn't seize.
Tag it, and show everyone in the house
Water at full pressure comes out of a split fast
Already frozen and nothing leaking? Open the tap, keep the heat on and call. Never use a flame.
What we do in the cold
Frozen, split, or slow to thaw
Most of our calls from December to April are one of these six.
Frozen pipes
We find the ice, thaw it without open flame and check the line for a split before the water comes back on.
Burst and split pipes
Cut out the split, fit new pipe and test it under pressure. If it opened inside a wall, we tell you before we open the wall.
Water-service lines
When the line from the street to the house freezes: thaw, a camera check, and the repair or replacement options in writing.
Cabins and seasonal homes
A drain-down in fall, a start-up and leak check in spring, and a call when the heat fails while you are away.
Rental calls
For landlords: one call, a photo from the tenant, and a written note of what was done for your records.
Water heaters in the cold
Cold feed water works a heater hard. We repair or replace, and say which one makes sense.
While you wait
Frozen, or already split?
A frozen pipe can look like nothing and then split as it thaws. This is what we tell people on the phone.
| Split | Frozen, not split | |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | SplitWater on the floor, a stain spreading on a ceiling, the sound of running water. | Frozen, not splitNo water, or a trickle. Frost on the pipe, or a pipe cold to the touch. |
| First move | SplitShut the main, open the lowest tap, call. | Frozen, not splitOpen the tap, keep the heat on, call. |
| What we do | SplitCut out the split, fit new pipe, test it under pressure. | Frozen, not splitThaw it slowly, check every joint, wrap the pipe. |
| What we look for next | SplitWhether the ice split more than one spot. | Frozen, not splitWhy it froze: a gap, a bare run, a draft. |
| What not to do | SplitWalk into a flooded basement with the power on. | Frozen, not splitUse a torch, a heat gun or any open flame. |
After a cold-weather call
What customers wrote
“We drove up in April and the utility room was damp. They found a split at the shutoff, fixed it and drained the rest properly. The photo text let me decide from the car.”
Dwight P.Cabin owner, Rice
“My tenant texted me a photo of the main shutoff. I forwarded it, and the plumber knew where to go. I got a written note of what was done for my records.”
Ines V.Landlord, St. Cloud
“The estimate said what it covered and what it did not. The drywall was ours to deal with, and I knew that before anything was cut.”
Callie R.Homeowner, Sartell
Sample reviews.
Who drives
Six of us, three vans
Astrid owns the firm and answers the day line. The other five plumbers take the vans and share the night phone.
Astrid Lindberg
Owner
Answers the day line, writes the estimates and decides who goes where.
Abdirahman Hussein
Lead plumber
Water-service lines and frozen mains.
Kalia Lor
Service plumber
Frozen and split pipes in houses and rentals.
Melvin Branch
Service plumber
Cabins, seasonal homes and spring start-ups.
Thomas Rice
Service plumber
Water heaters and boilers when the cold is hard on them.
Julissa Herrera
Apprentice plumber
Rides with a lead on every call.
Before you call
Frozen pipe questions
My pipes are frozen and nothing is leaking. What do I do?
Open the tap nearest the frozen part so water can run as it thaws, keep the heat on, and open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls. If you can't tell where the ice is, or you hear or see water anywhere, call.
Can I thaw a pipe myself?
Gentle warmth works: a hair dryer, or a warm towel on the pipe, starting at the tap end. Never use a torch, a heat gun or any open flame. Stop and call if you see a crack or any water.
Do you charge more at night?
Yes. Evenings, weekends and holidays cost more than the day rate, and the on-call plumber tells you the rate on the phone before the van leaves. The how pricing works page has the rest.
Will the pipe freeze again?
It can, if whatever let the cold in is still there. We look for the gap, the bare run or the draft and tell you what would stop it, whether or not you hire us to do it.
Not an emergency yet?
Tell us what the pipes are doing
A photo of the pipe or the shutoff helps the plumber bring the right parts.
Emergency line(320) 555-0100
Text a photo(320) 555-0100
Hours
- Emergency line
- Open 24 hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7am – 5pm