Open the faucet first
Open the tap that line feeds before you apply any heat. Running water, even a trickle, helps melt the ice and tells you the moment the blockage clears.
Frozen & Burst Pipes
Frozen or Burst Pipe in Your Minnesota Home? Here Is Exactly What to Do
A frozen or burst pipe in your Minnesota home: shut the water off, gate the DIY safely, then book pipe repair online. Local, east metro plumbing advice from a licensed MN plumber.
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About Twin City Pipeworks
Why Homeowners Trust Us for Frozen & Burst Pipes
If you have a frozen or burst pipe in your Minnesota home right now, the first move is water, not the phone: shut off your main, then read the next two sections before you touch the pipe. Twin City Pipeworks is a licensed, insured MN plumbing shop working the east metro and St. Croix Valley, and we fix cracked and burst water lines with upfront, per-task pricing so you know the number before any work starts. The fastest way to get on the schedule is to book pipe repair for a cracked or burst line online. No back-and-forth, and every job carries a 1-year warranty on all work.
Here is the part most homeowners get backwards: the burst usually happens on the thaw, not the freeze. Ice expanding inside a pipe builds pressure, but the water is trapped and often stays put while it is frozen solid. The failure shows up when things warm up and that pressurized section lets go, or when a hairline split that formed in the cold finally has moving water behind it again. So a quiet frozen line at 6 AM can become a spraying leak by afternoon. That is why shutting the main early, before the thaw, is the single best thing you can do.
The First 5 Minutes: Shut the Water Off, Then Book
Do this in order and do not skip step one. Shutting the main is what turns a burst pipe from a flood into a repair.
Your main shutoff is usually where the water line enters the house, most often on the basement wall facing the street, near the water meter. In a lot of east metro homes it is a round wheel or a lever valve on the meter. Turn a wheel clockwise until it stops, or turn a lever a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe. If you cannot find it or it will not budge, shut off the closest fixture valve you can reach and get help.
Once the water is off, open a couple of faucets on the lowest level to relieve pressure and let the line drain. Then get the repair on the schedule. The cleanest path is to book pipe repair for a cracked or burst line online, or grab an instant number on a common repair with the online quote tool. If you would rather talk it through, you can call or text (651) 247-4495.
Why Twin City Pipeworks
Frozen Pipe Repair: How to Thaw a Line Without Making It Worse
If you have a frozen pipe but nothing has burst yet, careful thawing can save the line. Frozen pipe repair starts with slow, gentle heat and a wide-open faucet so melting water has somewhere to go. Here is how to do it safely:
Use gentle, moving heat
A hair dryer, a heat lamp, or towels soaked in hot water work well. Start near the faucet and move toward the frozen spot so melt water drains out instead of backing up.
Never use an open flame
No blowtorch, no propane torch, no space heater pressed against the wall. Open flame near framing and old insulation is how a frozen pipe turns into a house fire.
Warm the whole cavity
Pipes in exterior walls and rim joists freeze because the space around them is cold. Open the cabinet doors, let warm room air reach the run, and keep the heat on the area, not just the pipe.
When to Stop the DIY and Book: Any Spray, Any Wall Cavity
Thawing a frozen line yourself is fine. Chasing a leak inside your walls is not. There are two hard lines where the smart move is to shut the water and book a repair instead of pressing on.
Stop if there is any active spray or steady drip. A pressurized line that is spraying, misting, or dripping under the fixture has already failed, and the water is going somewhere you cannot see. Stop, too, the moment a wall cavity, ceiling, or floor is involved. Water tracks along framing and shows up three rooms away from the actual break, so a wet spot on a Woodbury basement ceiling is a job for someone who can open the right spot the first time.
Here is the honest part a lot of shops will not say out loud. If your pipe froze but thawed clean with full pressure and zero drips, and it is an accessible run you can see end to end, you may not need us at all. Add pipe insulation, keep that cabinet open on cold nights, and watch it. Do not pay for a repair you do not need. But if you cannot find where the water is coming from, that is a different problem, and our leak detection and repair service finds the source before anyone starts cutting.
When it is time, book pipe repair for a cracked or burst line online and we will tell you exactly what you are dealing with, with upfront per-task pricing before any work begins.
Why Twin City Pipeworks
Burst Pipe: The Spots That Fail First in Older Minnesota Homes
A burst pipe almost never happens at random. In the homes we work across the east metro and St. Croix Valley, the same handful of failure points show up winter after winter. Knowing where to look tells you where to shut off and what to point out when you book:
Uninsulated rim joists
The rim joist is the band of framing where the basement wall meets the floor above. In a lot of pre-1990s east metro houses it was never insulated, so supply lines running along it sit in outside-temperature air all winter. This is our number one burst spot.
Pipes in exterior walls
Older homes in Stillwater, Oakdale, and Lake Elmo often have water lines run through exterior walls with little or no insulation between the pipe and the cold sheathing. A bathroom on the north or west side of the house is the usual suspect.
The sillcock or hose bib
The outdoor faucet crack is the classic first-thaw surprise. A hose left connected in fall traps water in the sillcock, it freezes, and the split does not leak until you turn the water on in spring and it sprays inside the wall.
Garage and crawlspace runs
Any line crossing an unheated garage ceiling or an open crawlspace within about 30 minutes of Lake Elmo is exposed to real Minnesota cold. These runs freeze fast on a subzero night and are easy to miss until they fail.
Pipe Burst in House: What Happens After You Shut It Off
Once a pipe has burst in your house and the water is off, the clock is about drying, not panic. Standing water and soaked insulation start to grow mold in roughly 24 to 48 hours, so getting air moving and wet material out matters more than the actual pipe fix in the first day.
Move what you can off the wet floor, pull up soaked rugs, and set fans blowing across the area. If a ceiling is bulging with trapped water, a single small hole at the low point drains it in a controlled way instead of letting the whole thing come down at once. Take photos of everything before you clean up, because standard Minnesota homeowners policies typically cover sudden water damage from a burst pipe even though they usually will not cover the pipe repair itself.
We would rather you shut the water off and dry things out on your own schedule than sit in a flooding basement waiting on anyone. Get it dry, then book the repair.
When the water damage is handled, the pipe still needs a real fix. We repair the failed section, pressure test the line, and back it with a 1-year warranty. Book pipe repair for a cracked or burst line online to get on the schedule.
Book your repair
Ready to Get the Repair on the Schedule?
Water off, area drying, and a cracked or burst line to fix? Book online with Twin City Pipeworks for pipe repair across the east metro and St. Croix Valley, within about 30 minutes of Lake Elmo. Upfront per-task pricing, fully insured, 1-year warranty on all work. Not sure where the water is coming from? Our leak detection and repair service finds it first. Prefer to reach a person? Call or text (651) 247-4495.
Prefer to call or text? 651-247-4495
Two easy ways to get started
- Book online — pick a visit time that works for you, no phone tag.
- Get a repair quote — common repair tasks priced in minutes with our online tool.
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Where to Next?
Jump straight to the service or info you need, or book your repair online any time.
Twin City Pipeworks
Ready to get it fixed right?
Honest, upfront pricing and a 1-year warranty on every job. Book your visit online, or get an instant quote on a common repair.
Prefer to call or text? 651-247-4495
Good to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if a water pipe bursts in my house? +
Shut off your main water valve first, then open a few low faucets to drain the pressure out of the line. Get standing water and soaked material out quickly, because mold can start within 24 to 48 hours, and take photos for your insurance before you clean up. Once the water is off and things are drying, book the repair. The failed section needs to be cut out and replaced, then pressure tested. You can book pipe repair for a cracked or burst line online with upfront per-task pricing.
How do I thaw a frozen pipe safely? +
Open the faucet that line feeds so melting water has an exit, then apply gentle, moving heat with a hair dryer, heat lamp, or hot-water-soaked towels. Start near the faucet and work toward the frozen section. Never use an open flame or a blowtorch near framing and insulation. Warm the whole space around the pipe, not just the pipe itself, since exterior-wall and rim-joist runs freeze because the cavity around them is cold. If the line will not thaw or you find a leak once it does, stop and book pipe repair for a cracked or burst line.
Why does a pipe burst on the thaw instead of during the freeze? +
While a pipe is frozen solid, the ice blocks the water and the split often stays sealed by the ice itself. When it warms up, that pressurized section lets go, or a hairline crack that formed in the cold finally has moving water behind it. That is why a quiet frozen line in the morning can become a spraying leak by afternoon, and why shutting your main early, before the thaw, is the best move.
When should I stop trying to fix a frozen pipe myself and book a plumber? +
Stop the moment there is any active spray or steady drip, and stop if the water involves a wall cavity, ceiling, or floor you cannot open cleanly. Water tracks along framing and shows up far from the actual break, so guessing means cutting drywall in the wrong spot. If your line thawed clean with full pressure and no drips on an accessible run, you likely do not need a repair, just add insulation and watch it. If you cannot find where the water is coming from, our leak detection and repair service locates the source first.
Do you offer emergency or 24/7 service for a burst pipe? +
No, and that is by design. Twin City Pipeworks is an owner-run shop serving the east metro and St. Croix Valley by appointment, Monday through Friday. The good news is that shutting your main water valve stops the flooding immediately, which buys you the time to dry things out and book a proper repair rather than paying an emergency premium. Book online any time, or call or text (651) 247-4495.