Frozen Pipes in Georgia: How to Prevent, Thaw and Recover

The freeze playbook for crawl-space homes, garages and lake houses: what to do in November, during the cold snap, and after.

Georgia houses were not built for cold. Pipes run through vented crawl spaces, unheated garages and exterior walls, and most winters that is fine. Then an Arctic front parks over us for two or three nights in the teens, and our phones light up with burst pipes from Dahlonega to Buford. Here is the playbook.

Before the freeze (do this in November)

•  Disconnect garden hoses and drain outdoor spigots. A hose left on a frost-free spigot is the single most common cause of a burst we see.

•  Close crawl-space vents and look for daylight around pipes entering the house. Foam, caulk or even rags stuffed in gaps make a real difference.

•  Insulate exposed pipe in the crawl space, garage and attic with foam sleeves. Pay special attention to the main line where it comes in and to the water heater supply lines.

•  Know where your main shutoff is and make sure it turns. For well homes, know the pump breaker too.

•  Lake houses and second homes: if nobody will be there, winterize: shut off the water, drain the lines, and either drain the water heater or leave the heat on. See the Lake Lanier Home Plumbing Guide.

During the freeze

•  Let faucets drip, especially ones on exterior walls and the farthest fixture from the main. Moving water is much harder to freeze.

•  Open cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks to let warm air reach the pipes.

•  Keep the heat on, even if you are away. Do not set a thermostat below 55°F.

•  Well owners: make sure the well house or pump cover has a working heat source, and that the pressure tank is not sitting in an unheated space.

If a pipe freezes

You will know because one fixture (or the whole house) has no water, and it is well below freezing. Open the faucet, then warm the suspected section with a hair dryer, heat lamp or towels soaked in hot water, working from the faucet back toward the frozen spot. Never use a torch or open flame, and never leave a space heater unattended in a crawl space. If you cannot find the frozen section or it is inside a wall, call us; thawing with the wrong tool is how a frozen pipe becomes a burst one.

If a pipe bursts

1.  Shut off the main (or the well pump breaker). This is why you found it in November.

2.  Open a low faucet to drain pressure off the system.

3.  Turn off the water heater if the supply is shut off, so it does not run dry.

4.  Move water away from electrical outlets and call us. We handle burst repairs 24/7 and can also advise on drying out before mold starts.

Our first-10-minutes emergency guide covers the rest.

After the thaw

The week after a hard freeze is when slow leaks show up: a hairline crack that only drips once the ice is gone. Walk the crawl space, check under sinks and watch the water bill or the pump cycling. If a copper line froze once, it will freeze again; repiping that run in PEX, which tolerates freezing far better, is often the permanent fix. See remodeling & repiping.

Frozen or burst pipe right now? Call 770-718-1063 or book online.

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