Frozen Pipe Bursts in Aurora Garages and Outside Walls

How a freeze-and-thaw leak unfolds

During a cold snap: Overnight lows drop well below zero. Pipes in unheated garages, crawlspaces, cantilevered floors and outside walls lose heat fastest.
While frozen: Ice expands and pressure builds between the ice blockage and a closed faucet. The pipe splits or a fitting separates, but ice still plugs the gap.
When it warms: The ice melts and full water pressure flows through the split. Water runs until someone notices or the main is shut.
Hours later: Water appears at a ceiling below a bathroom, along a baseboard on an outside wall, or on the garage floor and into the house.

Where Aurora homes are most exposed

Arctic air masses reach the Denver area several times most winters, and temperatures can fall sharply in a few hours. Homes of every era have weak spots. Older ranches may have pipes in an outside wall below a kitchen window or a hose bib without a frost-free valve. Newer two-story homes often have a bathroom over the garage, with supply lines in a floor or ceiling that sits next to an unheated space. Townhomes and condos may run lines through exterior soffits or near a shared garage.

The tricky part for water removal is that water from a split pipe in a wall or ceiling does not show itself where it starts. It runs down inside the cavity, wets insulation and the back side of drywall, and spreads along the bottom plate. Extracting the water you can see on the floor is only half the job; the cavity has to be opened or dried in a controlled way, and the insulation in an exterior wall is often soaked.

Right after you find the leak

Close the main shutoff valve and open a faucet at the lowest point to drain pressure
Turn off power to any circuit where water is running near fixtures or outlets
Leave cabinet doors open and heat the area gradually; never thaw pipes with an open flame
Call a plumber to repair the break before water is turned back on
Photograph the wet ceiling, wall and floor, and the split pipe once exposed
Notify your insurer; frozen-pipe damage is often covered when the home was kept heated, so note the thermostat setting

Common questions

Should faucets drip during a cold snap?

Letting a faucet on an exposed line drip slightly can reduce the chance of freezing. Opening sink cabinets on outside walls so room heat reaches the pipes also helps.

Does disconnecting garden hoses matter?

Yes. A hose left attached can trap water in a frost-free hose bib, defeating its design and allowing it to freeze and split inside the wall.

General information for Aurora, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.