Frozen Pipes in Greensboro: Cleanup After the Split

Greensboro's Coldest Recent Snap

Single-digit mornings are rare here, which is why pipes catch people off guard. The National Weather Service's monthly summary records a low of 5°F at Greensboro on December 24 and a record low high of 26°F that day, after an Arctic front swept through on the 23rd. Before that, the last 5°F morning came in January 2014. That month the city also had 17 nights at or below freezing.

Where It Happens

• crawl spaces with open vents and uninsulated supply lines
• kitchen and bathroom pipes along exterior walls
• lines in garages and unheated additions
• outdoor spigots left connected to a hose

Thawing Without Making It Worse

1. Shut off the main first.
2. Open the faucet on the frozen line so melting ice has somewhere to go.
3. Warm it gently with a hair dryer or a heater kept at a distance. No torches.
4. Watch for drips as the pipe thaws.

Remember that a break past your property boundary is your line, not the City's, according to Greensboro Water Resources. A plumber fixes the pipe; we deal with the water damage.

Drying a Pipe Burst

A burst supply line is clean water at first, so quick action can save carpet, drywall and wood floors. We extract, open only what meters say is trapped, remove soaked crawl-space insulation and dry with dehumidifiers and air movers until readings come back normal.

If water pooled across the floor, our Greensboro water extraction page explains that step in detail. You can also visit our water damage team in Greensboro to see every service.