Open 24/7 for frozen & burst pipes

Frozen & Burst Pipe Repair in St. Catharines, ON

Woke up to no water, or found water spraying from a pipe in the basement? ExpressFlow Plumbers St. Catharines thaws frozen pipes safely, repairs burst pipes fast and helps you stop it from happening again. Licensed plumbers are on call 24 hours a day, every day of the winter.

(289) 906-9704 Book Now

Call us right away if you notice:

  • No water at one or more taps
  • Water spraying or dripping from a pipe
  • Frost or bulging on an exposed pipe
  • Wet ceiling, wall or basement floor
Plumber repairing a burst pipe in a St. Catharines basement

Water spraying right now?

Shut off your main water valve first. Here's how

Frozen or Burst Pipe? What to Do Right Now

The first ten minutes decide how much water damage you end up with. Follow the steps for your situation, then call us.

If a pipe has burst

  1. 1

    Shut off the main water valve. In most St. Catharines homes it's in the basement on the front wall, where the water line comes through the floor next to the meter. Turn it clockwise until it stops.

  2. 2

    Turn off the water heater. Set a gas tank to "Pilot" or "Vacation", or switch off the breaker for an electric tank.

  3. 3

    Drain the lines. Open the lowest cold tap in the house and one upstairs tap so the water left in the pipes runs out of the taps, not the break.

  4. 4

    Stay clear of electricity. Don't walk into water near outlets or the electrical panel. Then take photos for your insurer and move valuables off the floor.

If a pipe is frozen

  1. 1

    Open the affected tap. A slightly open tap relieves pressure and lets water flow out as the ice melts.

  2. 2

    Find the cold spot. Check pipes on exterior walls, in the garage, the crawl space and near the outdoor tap. Frost on the pipe is a giveaway.

  3. 3

    Warm it gently. Use a hair dryer, heat lamp or warm towels, starting at the tap end and working back. Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls.

  4. 4

    Keep the main valve within reach. A pipe that split while frozen only starts leaking once it thaws. If water appears, shut the main off.

Never use a torch, open flame or propane heater to thaw a pipe. It can start a fire inside the wall or boil the water trapped in the pipe and make it burst. Don't leave a space heater running unattended either. If the frozen pipe is inside a wall or you can't find it, call us for our pipe thawing service.

(289) 906-9704

Which Pipes Freeze in St. Catharines Homes

Frozen pipes are rarely random. During a cold snap, they show up in the same places in house after house.

Pipes in exterior walls

Kitchen and bathroom supply lines that run through outside walls with little or no insulation are the most common call we get on cold nights.

Garages

Lines feeding a laundry area, utility sink or a room above the garage pass through space that's barely warmer than outside.

Crawl spaces & basements

Pipes along the rim joist, in an unheated crawl space or near a drafty basement window can freeze even when the house upstairs feels warm.

The main water line

If every tap in the house is dry, the freeze is often where the water service enters the building. A frozen water line needs professional thawing and a check for cracks.

Outdoor taps

A hose left connected traps water in the hose bib. When it freezes, the pipe often splits inside the wall, and you only find out in spring.

Drain lines

Drains running through unheated spaces, or a vent pipe blocked with ice, can freeze too. Sinks and tubs then drain slowly or not at all.

Our Frozen & Burst Pipe Services in St. Catharines

Pipe Thawing Service

We locate the frozen section and thaw it with professional equipment suited to the pipe material, whether it's copper, galvanized steel or PEX. Once water is flowing, we check the whole run for splits before we leave, because a crack often stays hidden until the pressure comes back. If the freeze is in a wall or ceiling, we open up only as much as we need to.

Plumber thawing a frozen water pipe in a St. Catharines basement

Emergency Burst Pipe Repair

A burst pipe can release hundreds of litres of water in an hour. We get to you fast, stop the leak and cut out the damaged section, then replace it with new copper or PEX and pressure-test the line. When the break is hidden behind finished walls, we use leak detection equipment to find it without tearing out more drywall than necessary.

Emergency burst pipe repair by a licensed St. Catharines plumber

Frozen Water Line & Repiping

If the house has no water at all, the freeze is usually in the main service line where it comes into the home. We thaw it, check it for damage, and if the line keeps freezing or has split, we repair or replace it. In older homes where the same pipes freeze every winter, we can reroute them away from cold exterior walls. Learn more about main water line repair.

Technician replacing a damaged water supply line under a sink

Burst Pipe at Night? We're Up.

Pipes freeze on the coldest nights, not during business hours. Our emergency plumber in St. Catharines answers 24/7, gives you an arrival time on the phone and talks you through shutting off the water while we're on the way.

(289) 906-9704 Book Now
24/7 emergency plumber on a burst pipe call in St. Catharines

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter

Most frozen pipes can be prevented with a few steps in the fall and a little attention during cold snaps.

Insulate exposed pipes

Foam pipe sleeves on lines in the basement, crawl space and garage are cheap and quick to install. Seal drafts around rim joists and where pipes pass through outside walls.

Use heat cable on problem pipes

For a pipe that freezes every year, a self-regulating heat cable certified for water pipes keeps it above freezing. Plug it into a GFCI outlet and check it each fall.

Let a tap drip on cold nights

A thin, steady drip from a tap on an outside wall keeps water moving and relieves pressure in the line. Open the cabinet doors under that sink too.

Keep the heat on when you travel

Don't set the thermostat below about 13°C when you're away, and ask someone to check the house. For longer trips, shut off the main valve and drain the lines.

Winterize outdoor taps

Disconnect garden hoses, close the inside shut-off valve to each outdoor tap and open the tap outside to drain it. Frost-free hose bibs are a good upgrade.

Know where your main valve is

Find it, label it and make sure it turns before winter. If it's seized or leaking, have it replaced now rather than during a burst pipe.

Book a winter plumbing check

Frozen Pipes in Older St. Catharines Homes

Many of our frozen and burst pipe calls come from older houses: plumbing in exterior walls built before modern insulation, unheated crawl spaces, drafty block basements and garage additions that were never meant to be heated.

Plumber repairing a frozen supply pipe on an exterior wall in a St. Catharines home

Same pipe freezes every winter?

Thawing it again isn't the fix. We find out why it freezes, then insulate it, add heat cable or reroute it away from the cold wall.

(289) 906-9704

Port Dalhousie

Wind off Lake Ontario chills exterior walls and crawl spaces.

Merritton

Older homes with supply lines in uninsulated outside walls.

Grantham

Garages and additions where pipes cross unheated space.

Glenridge

Crawl spaces and original copper or galvanized lines.

Western Hill

Character homes with pipes along cold exterior walls.

Downtown St. Catharines

Older buildings, basements and storefronts with exposed lines.

Burst Pipes and Your Home Insurance

Most home insurance policies in Canada cover sudden water damage from a burst pipe, but frozen pipes can be excluded if the house wasn't heated or checked while you were away. The repair to the pipe itself and the damage the water caused may also be treated differently.

Before you file a claim, read your policy wording or call your insurer, and keep everything from our visit. Good documentation makes the claim faster and harder to dispute.

What we give you for your claim

  • Photos of the damage and the failed section of pipe
  • A written note on what failed and why
  • An itemized invoice for the repair
  • Recommendations to stop it from happening again

Related Plumbing Services in St. Catharines

24 Hour Plumber

Our emergency plumbers in St. Catharines handle any urgent plumbing problem, day or night.

Emergency plumbing →

Water Heater Repair

No hot water after a freeze, or a tank that was damaged when the lines froze.

Water heater repair →

Leak Detection

Finding a hidden break inside a wall or under a floor after a pipe has thawed.

Leak detection →

Main Water Line

Repair or replacement of a frozen, cracked or leaking water service line.

Water line repair →

Sump Pump Repair

Keeping the basement dry when snow melts and spring rain arrives.

Sump pump repair →

Drain Cleaning

Slow or blocked drains, including drain lines that froze in an unheated space.

Drain cleaning →
Winter Plumbing Experiences

Frozen & Burst Pipe Repair in St. Catharines

Common winter plumbing emergencies, from frozen water lines and burst copper pipes to repairs in basements, kitchens and garages.

★★★★★
"Our kitchen tap stopped working during a freezing cold morning. The plumber traced it to a frozen pipe along the exterior wall, thawed the line carefully and checked for leaks. He also showed us where the insulation needed attention."

Adam W.

Port Dalhousie

February 17, 2026

Frozen Kitchen Pipe Thawing

★★★★★
"A copper pipe split in our basement after a really cold night. We found water on the floor when we got up. The plumber isolated the damaged section, replaced it and pressure-tested the repair. Everything was explained before the work started."

Claire M.

Western Hill

February 4, 2026

Burst Copper Pipe Repair

★★★★★
"We woke up with no water anywhere in the house. The technician checked the main water line where it entered the basement and found a frozen section. He restored the flow and inspected the pipe for damage. Very helpful during a stressful morning."

Nathan B.

Merritton

January 27, 2026

Frozen Main Water Line

★★★★★
"The water line running through our unheated garage froze for the second winter in a row. This time we called a plumber instead of trying to thaw it ourselves. They got the water moving again and discussed a better route for the exposed pipe."

Erin D.

Grantham

January 15, 2026

Frozen Garage Water Pipe

★★★★★
"We discovered a burst pipe behind a basement wall after the temperature dropped. The plumber located the damaged section without opening up a huge area, cut out the split copper pipe and replaced it. The repair was neat and the water was back on."

Peter L.

Old Glenridge

January 6, 2026

Burst Pipe Behind Basement Wall

★★★★★
"Our laundry room pipe froze during the December cold snap. The plumber carefully thawed the line and found a small crack near a fitting. He replaced that section and checked the connections before turning the water back on. Good communication throughout."

Hannah S.

Port Weller

December 19, 2025

Frozen & Cracked Laundry Pipe

Frozen & Burst Pipe Questions

Answers to what St. Catharines homeowners ask us most when the temperature drops.

How do I know if my pipes are frozen?
The most common sign is a tap that gives only a trickle or nothing at all while others in the house still work. You may also see frost on an exposed pipe, a toilet that won't refill, or a drain that suddenly stops draining in very cold weather. If every tap in the house is dry, the freeze is likely in the main water line where it enters the house.
Can I thaw frozen pipes myself?
If you can see and reach the frozen section, yes. Open the tap, then warm the pipe with a hair dryer, heat lamp or warm towels, starting at the tap end and working back. Keep going until full water pressure returns. Never use a torch, open flame or propane heater. If the pipe is inside a wall, you can't find it, or the whole house has no water, call a plumber.
How long does it take for pipes to thaw on their own?
It can take hours or even days, and a pipe inside an outside wall may not thaw until the weather warms up. Waiting is risky: pressure builds between the ice and the closed tap, and that's what splits pipes. It's safer to thaw the pipe gently now or have a plumber do it.
Will a frozen pipe always burst?
Not always, but often. The damage usually comes from pressure building between the ice blockage and a closed tap, so a pipe can split away from the frozen spot. Many burst pipes only start leaking once the ice melts, so keep your main shut-off valve within reach while a pipe is thawing.
My drains are frozen, not my water lines. Can you help?
Yes. Drain lines can freeze where they run through unheated spaces, or when the vent pipe on the roof is blocked with ice. Don't pour chemical drain cleaner into a frozen drain; it won't melt the ice and can damage the pipe. We thaw frozen drain lines with professional equipment and check them for cracks.
There's no water in the whole house. Is it my pipes or the City?
Ask a neighbour. If they have water and you don't, the freeze is most likely in your water service line where it enters the house, and we can thaw it. If the whole street has no water, the problem is probably on the City's side; call the City of St. Catharines at 905-688-5600.
Does home insurance cover frozen or burst pipes?
Most Canadian home insurance policies cover sudden water damage from a burst pipe, but frozen pipes can be excluded if the home wasn't heated or checked while you were away. Coverage for the pipe repair may differ from coverage for the water damage. Read your policy wording or call your insurer, and keep our photos and invoice for the claim.
What affects the cost of burst pipe repair?
The main factors are where the break is (an exposed basement pipe is quicker to fix than one inside a finished wall or ceiling), the pipe material, how many sections were damaged, and whether the main water line is involved. We explain what needs to be done and give you the price before any work begins.
Can PEX pipes freeze and burst?
Yes. PEX is more flexible than copper and handles freezing better, but it can still freeze and split, and the fittings are often where it fails. Thawing methods used on metal pipes aren't suitable for PEX, so we thaw it with gentle, controlled heat.
Is heat tape safe to use on pipes?
It is when you use the right product and install it properly. Choose a self-regulating heat cable certified for water pipes, plug it into a GFCI-protected outlet, follow the manufacturer's instructions on insulating over it, and inspect it every fall. Old, damaged or overlapped heat tape is a fire risk.
Only my hot water pipe is frozen. What should I do?
That usually means a hot water line runs along a cold outside wall. Open the hot tap and warm the pipe gently, the same way you would a cold line. Don't turn up the water heater to push hot water through; it won't reach the ice. If the water heater is leaking or not heating after the freeze, it may need repair as well.
Do you offer 24/7 emergency burst pipe repair in St. Catharines?
Yes. We answer 24 hours a day, including nights, weekends and holidays, and serve every neighbourhood in St. Catharines. Call (289) 906-9704, and we'll give you an arrival time and talk you through shutting off the water while we're on the way.

Get in Touch

Fill out the form below and we'll get back to you soon.

St. Catharines Neighbourhoods We Serve

  • Port Dalhousie
  • Downtown St. Catharines
  • Western Hill
  • Vansickle
  • Merritton
  • Grantham
  • North End St. Catharines
  • Lakeport
  • Fitzgerald
  • Haig
  • Secord Woods
  • Queenston
  • Martindale
  • Grapeview
  • Barbican Heights
  • Burleigh Hill
  • Old Glenridge
  • Glenridge
  • Oakdale
  • Port Weller
  • Louth
  • Drummond Road Area
  • Ker Village / Facer Street Area
  • Dickson Hill
  • Lakeshore Area
  • West St. Catharines