Frozen Pipe Repair

Northern Michigan winters are no joke. When temperatures plunge to single digits and below — which happens every year in Antrim, Kalkaska, Charlevoix, and surrounding counties — frozen pipes become a real and serious risk. Zenco Plumbing has seen firsthand what a burst pipe can do to a home, and we're here to help whether you're dealing with a frozen line right now or want to make sure it never happens again.

What Happens When Pipes Freeze

Water expands as it freezes. Inside a pipe, there's nowhere for that expanding ice to go — so it pushes against the pipe walls until something gives. Copper, PVC, and even PEX pipe can split under that pressure. The freeze itself might not make a sound, but when the thaw comes, you'll know: water starts pouring out of the crack or break, often inside a wall or ceiling where you can't see it immediately.

Pipes most at risk are those in unheated spaces: crawl spaces, garages, cabins that have been shut off for the season, exterior walls with poor insulation, and any line that runs through an unheated addition or sunroom.

What To Do If Your Pipes Are Frozen

• Turn off your main water shutoff immediately — before the pipes thaw
• Open faucets on the affected line to relieve pressure as ice melts
• Do not use an open flame or torch to thaw pipes — this causes fires
• A hair dryer or heat lamp can help thaw accessible pipes slowly
• If you can't locate or access the frozen section, call a plumber
• Check for signs of burst pipe (wet walls, ceiling stains) before turning water back on

Why You Need a Pro

The frozen section is rarely where the damage is — and it's often not visible. A plumber can locate the frozen area, safely thaw it, and immediately assess whether any pipe has split. If there's a break, we can repair or replace the affected section right then, before you restore water pressure and turn a minor situation into a flooded room.

We also check that the rest of the system is intact. One frozen pipe often means other nearby pipes are close to the edge too — we check the full run before giving the all-clear.

Frozen Pipe Prevention

The best frozen pipe call is the one you never have to make. Here's what works:

• Insulate pipes in crawl spaces, garages, and exterior walls
• Install heat tape on vulnerable runs (especially in crawl spaces)
• Keep your thermostat at 55°F minimum, even when away
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls during cold snaps
• Let faucets drip a thin stream during extreme cold — moving water resists freezing
• Properly winterize seasonal cabins: drain the entire system and blow out lines
• Know where your main shutoff is — always

Cabin & Seasonal Home Winterization

If you have a lake house, cabin, or vacation property in Northern Michigan, proper winterization before the season ends is essential. We can drain and blow out your entire plumbing system — water heater, supply lines, fixtures — so there's nothing left to freeze. It's a small investment that protects a big one.

Zenco Plumbing is based in Mancelona and serves all of Northern Michigan. Licensed, insured, and experienced with everything this climate can throw at a plumbing system.