Frozen Pipes in Fort Worth: What to Do Right Now
Frozen or burst pipe in Fort Worth? Shut off the main, thaw slowly, and prep exposed attic, wall and garage lines before the next hard freeze.
If pipes freeze in Fort Worth, close the main water shutoff, open the faucet nearest the frozen section, and warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer or warm towels. Never use a flame. If a pipe has already burst, keep the main closed, stay clear of electrical hazards near standing water, and call a plumber.
What do I do right now if a pipe is frozen?
Find the main shutoff and close it first, so a pipe that cracks while it thaws can't flood the house. Then open the faucet served by the frozen line, because melting ice needs somewhere to go. Warm the pipe slowly, working from the faucet end back toward the frozen section, using a hair dryer on low, a heating pad, or towels soaked in hot water.
Don't use a torch, a propane heater or any open flame on a pipe, and don't park a space heater against insulation or a wall. Thawing too fast is how a pipe that was merely blocked becomes a pipe that is split. If you can't tell where the freeze is, or the pipe is buried in a wall, stop there and call a plumber rather than cutting drywall to look.
Why do Fort Worth homes freeze when winters are mild?
Because most were built for summer. Hard freezes are rare here, so supply lines often run through attics, exterior walls and unheated garages, places builders in colder regions would avoid. Hose bibs and irrigation connections sit outside with little protection.
The line that fails is seldom the one under the kitchen sink. It's the one in the exterior wall behind the washer, or the one along the garage ceiling. The February 2021 freeze is the general reminder: a rare event that lasts long enough will find every unprotected pipe in a place that never planned for it.
How do I prepare before a freeze arrives?
Do this when the forecast first shows a hard freeze, not after the pipes go quiet.
- Let faucets on exterior-wall plumbing drip. A thin, steady stream works; a trickle that stops and starts does not.
- Open the cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so room air reaches the pipes behind them.
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover the hose bibs with insulated caps.
- Wrap exposed pipes in the garage and attic with foam sleeves. Pipes in a garage with a door that doesn't seal deserve extra attention.
- Leave the heat on, even in rooms you're not using, and don't turn it way down if you travel.
Where is my main shutoff, and does it still work?
Find it before you need it. In many houses it's in a utility closet, in the garage, or on an exterior wall near a hose bib. A valve at the meter may also exist, but that one often belongs to the utility, so ask before leaning on it.
Then turn the handle once this month. An old gate valve that hasn't moved in years can seize or snap, while a quarter-turn ball valve is far easier to live with. If yours is stuck, that's a repair to book in the fall, not discover in a freeze. Tag the valve so anyone in the house can find it.
What if a pipe bursts?
Close the main right away, then drain the system by opening the lowest and highest faucets and flushing the toilets. Switch off the water heater, since it shouldn't heat an empty system. If water is near outlets, light fixtures or a ceiling that is sagging, switch off the breaker for that area only if you can reach the panel without stepping through water.
Take photos before you mop: the burst section, the wet areas, the damage. Get fans going and pull up wet rugs. Then call a plumber and your insurer; ask the insurer what it wants documented before repairs begin.
What should I check after the thaw?
Pipes that froze can carry hairline splits that stay sealed while ice fills them and leak once the ice melts and pressure returns. Reopen the main slowly, then walk the house looking at ceilings, the walls behind sinks and the garage. Run the meter test: with everything off, a moving meter means something let go.
Ask the plumber whether a damaged section should be replaced or patched, and whether it makes sense to add insulation or a shutoff valve to the lines that froze. Fixing the exposed run once usually beats fixing it every freeze.