How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Lawrenceville

Gwinnett winters are mostly mild, and that is the problem. Pipes in most Lawrenceville houses are not built or insulated for a deep freeze, so the few nights a year that dip into the teens do the damage. The hard freeze around Christmas 2022 burst pipes in homes across metro Atlanta, Gwinnett included, and plenty of people found out where their main shutoff was the hard way.

Where Pipes Freeze in Gwinnett Homes

Freezing pipes are mostly about location, not just temperature. In this area the usual trouble spots are:

• Crawlspace plumbing. Plenty of older Lawrenceville houses sit on crawlspaces with foundation vents. Supply lines hanging from the floor joists are exposed to whatever air comes through those vents.
• Exterior-wall pipes. Kitchen sinks, bathroom vanities and laundry boxes on an outside wall can have supply lines sitting between the sheathing and the cabinet, with little insulation.
• Hose bibs. An outdoor spigot with a hose still attached holds water right at the wall, and the short pipe behind it can split without any sign until the thaw.
• Garage and attic runs. Water heater supply lines in an unheated garage, and any plumbing running through an attic, get no help from the house heat.
• Irrigation and other outdoor lines that are not drained before winter.

Pipes that freeze do not always burst on the spot. They often split when the ice melts and water starts flowing again, which is why many people find the leak a day later.

Before the Freeze: What to Do This Afternoon

1. Unhook every hose and, if the spigot has an indoor shutoff, close it and open the outdoor tap to drain it. Foam covers over the faucet help on top of that.
2. Open the cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks on exterior walls so room air reaches the pipes. Move cleaners out of reach of kids and pets first.
3. Drip a faucet on an exterior wall or at the farthest end of the supply line from where the water enters the house. Hot and cold both.
4. Close the crawlspace vents and the access door if your foundation has them. Do not rely on wrapping alone if cold air is blowing straight at a pipe.
5. Keep the thermostat at 55 degrees or higher, including when you leave town, and keep the garage door shut.
6. Find your main shutoff now. Most Gwinnett houses have a meter box near the street with a shutoff valve, and many also have a valve where the line enters the house. Try turning both once so they are not stuck on the night you need them. If you cannot turn the one at the meter, do not force it: that valve belongs to the water utility, so call them.

Insulation That Actually Helps

Foam sleeves on crawlspace and garage supply lines are cheap and take an afternoon. Pipes in a vented crawlspace do better with sleeves plus sealed vents than with either alone. Heat tape made for pipes is an option for a few trouble spots, but follow the instructions, plug it directly into an outlet and never overlap it. For pipes inside an exterior wall, the realistic fix is to open the cabinet doors during a freeze, or have a plumber look at relocating the line if it keeps happening.

If a Pipe Freezes

1. Open the nearest faucet so melting water has somewhere to go.
2. Warm the pipe with a hair dryer or towels soaked in warm water, working from the faucet toward the frozen section.
3. Never use a torch, a propane heater or other open flame.
4. Check the rest of the house for other dry faucets.
5. If the pipe is behind a wall or under the floor, or you see water, shut the main off and call for a plumber. See how to shut off your water in an emergency if you are not sure where the valve is.

If a Pipe Bursts

Shut off the main, open a faucet at the lowest point of the house to drain the line, and turn off power to any wet area. Take photos before you clean up, since your insurance company will ask. Call (770) 285-5619 and we will connect you with an independent local plumber who handles burst pipe repair. Ask the plumber for the price before any work starts, and ask whether the pipe that failed was the only weak one: a freeze that splits one length of old galvanized or polybutylene often leaves others close to failing.

Not sure if the leak is inside the wall? Our post on the signs of a burst pipe in your wall covers what to look for.

Frequently Asked Questions