Prime Plumbing technician inspecting a frozen water pipe along an exterior basement wall in winter in Greater Boston

Woburn, MA · Residential + Commercial

Frozen & burst pipe repair for New England winters

A frozen pipe you catch in time is a manageable problem. The same pipe after it splits and thaws is water in the walls. Prime Plumbing thaws frozen lines safely, repairs the ones that burst, and fixes the reason it froze, for homes and businesses across Woburn and Greater Boston. Call (617) 354-4545.

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Licensed & insuredWinter-readyWoburn-based

A short window decides everything

Frozen, or already burst?

Knowing which situation you are in changes the first move, which is why the moment you suspect a frozen pipe is the moment to act.

Caught frozen is the good version

No water at a faucet on a cold morning, a visibly frosted line, but nothing leaking yet. The pipe can be thawed carefully, checked, and the reason it froze addressed, and the damage is nothing.

Burst means stop the water

If the ice has already split the pipe, you find out on the thaw when water pushes through the crack. That is an emergency: shut off the water at the main and call. Every minute it runs is more damage.

Thaw safely, not with a torch

Rapid, uneven heat can turn trapped water to steam and rupture the pipe, and an open flame near old framing is its own hazard. Thawing is done gradually and evenly, from the open end.

Why it froze, and what comes next

The pipe, and the reason it failed

Getting the water flowing again is only half the job; a pipe that froze once will freeze again in the same spot unless the reason changes.

Frozen and frosted water pipe running through cold, uninsulated space in a Greater Boston home

Why pipes freeze here, and which ones are at risk

Water expands as it freezes, and a closed section of pipe has nowhere to put that pressure, so it fails at the weakest point, sometimes far from the ice itself. New England gives pipes plenty of chances: a single-digit night, a wind-driven cold snap, or a furnace that quit.

The pipes that freeze are the ones running through cold, uninsulated space, and knowing which ones those are is half of preventing the problem.

Supply lines in exterior walls, unheated basements, crawlspaces, garages, and attics
Outdoor spigots and their lines when not shut off and drained before winter
Any plumbing in a room, addition, or vacant home kept unheated during a cold snap

Prime Plumbing technician repairing a burst frozen copper pipe in a cold Greater Boston basement

After a burst: stop the water, then repair the cause

If a pipe has already burst, the priority order is fixed: stop the water, then deal with the pipe. Shutting the main is what ends the flooding, and every minute the water runs is more damage, so knowing where your main shutoff is before winter is worth the two minutes it takes to find it.

Once the water is off, we repair the failed section, and just as importantly we look at why that pipe was the one that froze and split, so the repair is not just a patch waiting for next January.

Prime Plumbing technician safely thawing a frozen pipe in a cold Greater Boston basement

Thawing a pipe safely is not a job for a torch

The instinct to thaw a frozen pipe fast with an open flame is exactly how a frozen-pipe problem becomes a fire or a burst. Rapid, uneven heat can turn trapped water to steam and rupture the pipe, and an open flame near old framing and insulation is its own hazard. Thawing is done gradually and evenly, with the right heat source, working from the open end so melting water can escape, while watching for the split that may already be there.

When we thaw a line, we also find out where and why it froze, because that is the part that keeps it from repeating. Sometimes the fix is insulation or heat where the pipe runs through cold space; sometimes it is rerouting a poorly placed line; sometimes it is as simple as shutting and draining a spigot line each fall. Getting the water flowing again is only half the job.

What to expect

What a frozen or burst pipe call looks like

Either way you get a straight explanation of what happened and what keeps it from happening again.

Frozen but intact: we thaw it safely

Gradual, even heat from the open end, while watching for a split, and we find out where and why it froze.

Burst: we stop the water and repair it

We get the main shut off, repair the failed section, and address the cause so the repair is not a patch waiting for next January.

We fix the reason it froze

Insulation, heat, a reroute, or a seasonal spigot shutoff, so the same pipe does not freeze again in the same spot.

From our customers

Greater Boston on Prime in winter

Rich is super responsive, took care of a radiator issue quickly and just in time ahead of the cold weather! Would highly recommend Prime Plumbing.

Li Wang Ahead of the cold weather

We would, without question, recommend Prime to anyone who needs professional work done with a professional team.

Valerie Mccoy Homeowner

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Insulated pipes in a Greater Boston home mechanical room protected against winter freezing by Prime Plumbing

Preventing the next one is cheaper than repairing it

Most frozen pipes are preventable, and the measures are modest compared to the damage. Insulating the pipes that run through cold space, sealing the drafts that blow cold air onto them, keeping the heat on even in unused rooms during a deep freeze, and shutting off and draining outdoor spigot lines before winter handle the majority of cases. For a stubborn location, thermostatically controlled heat cable is a targeted fix. On a bitter night, letting a vulnerable faucet drip keeps water moving so it is harder to freeze.

We are happy to walk a house before winter and point out the specific pipes at risk and what each one needs, the kind of thing our preventative maintenance visits cover. Prime Plumbing works out of 271 Salem Street in Woburn and holds Massachusetts plumbing license 17347. If a pipe is frozen, or worse, contact us or call (617) 354-4545, and shut off the water first if it has already burst.

Before you call

Common frozen and burst pipe questions.

Telling us whether the pipe is frozen or already leaking, and where it runs, tells us how fast we need to move.

I think a pipe is frozen but it has not burst. What should I do?

Act now rather than waiting to see if it clears. Do not use an open flame to thaw it. If you can safely reach the pipe, gentle even warmth from the open faucet end helps, but a pipe in a wall or hard-to-reach space is best handled by us before it splits. Catching it frozen but intact is the good outcome, so call while it is still just frozen.

How do I know if a frozen pipe has burst?

A frozen pipe that is still intact gives you no water at the affected fixtures but no leak. A burst pipe usually reveals itself on the thaw, when water begins pushing through the split the ice created, often behind a wall or into a ceiling. If you see or hear water once things warm up, treat it as a burst: shut the main and call.

Where is my main water shutoff?

In most homes it is where the water line enters the house, typically in the basement or a crawlspace on the street-facing side, often near the meter. Turn it clockwise to close. Finding it before winter is worth a few minutes, because in a burst the speed you can shut the water off directly limits the damage.

Which pipes are most likely to freeze?

The ones running through cold, uninsulated space: exterior walls, unheated basements, crawlspaces, garages, and attics, plus outdoor spigot lines that were not drained before winter. A vacant home or a closed-off, unheated room is especially at risk during a cold snap. A pipe that has frozen once tends to freeze again in the same place unless the cause is fixed.

How can I prevent frozen pipes?

Insulate pipes in cold areas, seal drafts blowing cold air onto them, keep the heat on even in unused rooms during a deep freeze, and shut off and drain outdoor spigots before winter. Heat cable helps for a stubborn spot, and letting a vulnerable faucet drip on a bitter night keeps water moving. We can walk a house before winter and flag the specific pipes at risk.

Do you handle frozen pipes for businesses too?

Yes. Vacant units, unheated storage, and exterior-wall runs in commercial buildings freeze the same way, and a burst in a business means water damage plus a closed door. We thaw, repair, and address the cause for commercial properties across Greater Boston, and can set up the seasonal checks that prevent it.

Ready when you are

Frozen pipe, or one that already burst?

If it burst, shut off the water first. Then call our Woburn team at (617) 354-4545, or schedule online, and we will thaw, repair, and fix the cause.

Call (617) 354-4545 (617) 354-4545