If a pipe is frozen, keep the faucet it feeds open (so water can flow as it thaws and relieve pressure), and gently warm the frozen section with a hair dryer, heat lamp, or towels soaked in warm water — working from the faucet end toward the frozen area. Never use an open flame or torch. If you cannot find or reach the frozen section, or a pipe has already burst, shut off your main water valve and call a plumber. Prevention — heat, insulation, and dripping faucets in deep cold — is far easier than dealing with a burst.
Frozen pipes are a real NYC winter hazard, and the danger is not just no water — it is the burst that can follow, because freezing water expands and builds pressure inside the pipe. Acting carefully when you find a frozen pipe can prevent that burst.
First, open the faucet the frozen pipe supplies. As the ice melts, water and pressure need somewhere to go, and an open faucet relieves it. Then warm the frozen section gently: a hair dryer, a heat lamp, a space heater kept safely away from flammables, or towels soaked in warm water all work. Move from the faucet end toward the frozen spot so melting water can escape.
The critical safety rule: never use an open flame, blowtorch, or propane torch to thaw a pipe. It is a fire risk, can damage the pipe, and has caused house fires. Slow, gentle heat is the safe way.
If you cannot locate the frozen section, cannot reach it (inside a wall, for instance), or the pipe has already burst, shut off your main water valve and call a plumber. And once the crisis passes, prevention is worth it: keep heat on even when away, insulate exposed pipes, and let faucets drip during deep cold — all far cheaper than repairing a burst.
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How do I safely thaw a frozen pipe?
Open the faucet it feeds, then warm the frozen section gently with a hair dryer, heat lamp, or warm towels, working from the faucet end inward. Never use an open flame.
Why should I never use a torch on a frozen pipe?
Open flames are a serious fire risk, can damage the pipe, and have caused house fires. Always use gentle heat like a hair dryer or heat lamp instead.
How do I prevent pipes from freezing in NYC?
Keep heat on (even when away), insulate exposed pipes, and let faucets drip during deep cold. These are far cheaper than repairing a burst pipe.