For frozen pipes, the main person to call is an emergency plumber , and you should do it sooner rather than later if there’s any sign of risk or damage.

Who to call (and when)

Call an emergency plumber right away if you notice any of these:

  • No water (or very low pressure) in part of the house and you can’t find the frozen spot.
  • Pipes hidden in walls/ceilings that you suspect are frozen (you hear strange gurgling, one area has no flow, etc.).
  • Any visible bulge, crack, dripping, or water stains near pipes, especially as they start to thaw.
  • The pipe stays frozen after about an hour of careful DIY thawing attempts on an exposed section.
  • You’re not confident you can safely thaw it yourself (old house, complicated plumbing, or you’re just unsure).

Other calls that can help in specific situations:

  • Your water company: if you suspect the supply line outside your property is frozen or broken.
  • Your building maintenance or landlord: if you’re in an apartment/condo or rental, they may have a preferred 24/7 plumber.

If water is actively pouring out and you can’t control it, you can call local non‑emergency services for guidance; people sometimes even call emergency lines when flooding is severe, but this is usually a last resort and not the first option.

What to do before the plumber arrives

These steps help reduce damage while you wait:

  1. Turn off the main water shutoff valve to the house to limit flooding if the pipe bursts.
  1. Open faucets (hot and cold) to relieve pressure in the lines.
  1. Check for leaks or new water stains on walls, ceilings, and floors near plumbing runs.
  1. If you know exactly which exposed pipe is frozen and it’s not cracked, you can gently warm it (for example, with warm towels or a hair dryer on low), keeping electrical items away from any moisture.
  1. Turn up the heat in the building and open cabinet doors under sinks so warmer air reaches pipes.

Avoid these common mistakes:

  • Do not use open flames (torches, lighters, space heaters right against pipes) to thaw.
  • Do not ignore a pipe that suddenly starts working again without checking for leaks; thawing is when many bursts show up.

Simple example scenario

Imagine you wake up and the kitchen cold tap is completely dry, but other taps work. You can’t see any exposed pipe in that run, and it’s an outside wall. In that case, you would:

  • Shut off the main water, open nearby faucets, and gently warm the room.
  • Call a 24/7 emergency plumber, because the frozen section is likely hidden in the wall and could burst as it thaws.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.