The clearest sign of a frozen pipe is turning on a faucet and getting little or no water — especially during or after a period of very cold weather. A burst pipe announces itself more dramatically: you’ll typically hear a pop or notice water where it shouldn’t be, often quickly. Knowing the difference matters, because the right response is different depending on which situation you’re dealing with.

Signs Your Pipes Are Frozen

Frozen pipes don’t always burst — at least not immediately. The freeze itself blocks flow, but the pipe may remain intact until you either let it thaw on its own or attempt to thaw it improperly. Watch for these indicators:

  • No water or very weak flow at one or more fixtures: If water pressure drops dramatically or stops entirely at specific faucets during or after a cold snap, a frozen pipe is the likely cause — especially if other fixtures in the home are working normally.
  • Frost or condensation on visible pipes: In utility rooms, basements, or crawl spaces, you may be able to see frost forming on the outside of a pipe that’s frozen inside.
  • A bulge or visible deformation in a pipe: Water expands as it freezes. If you can see a pipe that looks swollen or distorted, the ice inside is pressing outward — and that pipe may burst when it thaws.
  • Unusual smells from drains or fixtures: When drain pipes freeze, gases that would normally vent upward get trapped and may back up into the home.

Signs a Pipe Has Already Burst

A burst pipe is a faster-moving emergency than a frozen one. Signs include: water dripping from a ceiling, wall, or floor; water pooling where it shouldn’t be; the sound of rushing or dripping water inside a wall; a sudden drop in water pressure throughout the entire house; or water damage stains appearing rapidly. If you have any of these signs, shut off the main water supply immediately. This is not the moment to investigate — get the water off first, then assess the situation.

Your main water shutoff is typically located near the water meter, which is often in a basement, utility closet, or crawl space. Know where yours is before you need it. If you can’t find it or it won’t shut off, call Done’s emergency plumbing line immediately — we can get someone there fast.

What to Do If You Suspect a Frozen Pipe

If you have no water at a fixture but no signs of active flooding, you likely have a frozen pipe that hasn’t burst yet. Keep the affected faucet open so water can flow when the ice thaws. You can try warming the pipe with a hair dryer on a low setting, working from the faucet end toward the coldest section. Never use an open flame, heat gun at full power, or anything that could damage the pipe or start a fire. Heating too quickly can cause the pipe to crack from thermal stress even if it hasn’t already split from ice expansion.

If you can’t locate the frozen section, if the pipe is inside a wall, or if you’re not comfortable attempting to thaw it yourself, call Done. Attempting to force a thaw on a pipe that’s already cracked can turn a contained situation into a flood. A plumber can locate the frozen section, thaw it safely, and inspect the pipe for damage before water flows again.

Colorado’s Cold Snap Risk and Front Range Homes

Denver’s weather is famously volatile. A stretch of mild winter days can end with an arctic front that drops temperatures 40 degrees in a few hours, and homes that sailed through a dozen mild winters without incident can experience their first frozen pipe during an unusually severe cold snap. Pipes in exterior walls, unheated crawl spaces, and garages are consistently the highest-risk locations. If your home has supply lines running through any of these areas, they deserve preventive attention before next winter — including proper pipe insulation and, where needed, heat tape.

Done’s pipe and line services cover everything from emergency burst pipe repair to preventive insulation and pipe relocation for pipes that have frozen repeatedly. If you’re dealing with a frozen or burst pipe right now, call our emergency plumbing line — and if you want to prevent it from happening again, contact Done to schedule a plumbing assessment this fall.