Avoiding a Big Freeze: Frozen Water Pipe and Burst Prevention Tips

Now that more seasonal temperatures have set in, it’s time to think about frozen pipes, which can cause a lot of headaches and even significant damage. Here are some tips to help prevent a loss and alleviate the damages.

Prevention

• Keep the heat up. Winter is not the time to skimp on utility costs if the temperatures get below freezing or lower, especially in colder areas that may contain water supply or discharge lines. Extreme exterior temperatures can chill otherwise uninsulated exterior walls.
• Procure or locate temporary or permanent gas-powered portable heating units for critical boiler rooms subjected to intake air from the exterior. Have a backup plan if your heating system breaks.
• Insulate water supply lines in any air plenums, crawl spaces, lobbies and foyers.
• Maintain appropriate maintenance intervals with boiler equipment.
• Locate and label water mains or stop valves and inform key personnel of their respective locations.
• Repair leaking valves, joints or other connections as soon as discovered.
• Train key personnel in the location of and emergency shut down procedures for domestic and sprinkler water sources. Coordinate with your local fire department to develop the procedure for the emergency shutdown of sprinkler systems. Some fire departments do not allow sprinkler water supplies to be shut down prior to their arrival.
• Inspect your building exterior looking for loose siding, open vents, abnormal openings, and windows and doors that don’t properly seal.
• Check interior insulation for loose or missing areas and replace as needed.
• Increase inspections of the facility.
• Drain any idle water lines or equipment prone to freezing.
• Be very cautious of thawing frozen pipes – do not use an open flame. If a break is suspected, contact a qualified plumber before thawing pipes.
• Utilize red tag impairment procedures if shutting off fire system water supplies.
• Repair and restore fire water supply as quickly as possible.

If a loss occurs

• A water mitigation contractor can help control a loss more effectively than a typical building or remodeling contractor. Choose a firm well-versed in proper dry-out techniques. Once identified, keep their information handy or consider retaining them in advance so they can respond immediately if/when an event occurs.
• Key personnel should have the plumbing contractor’s contact information. The plumbing contractor should have a basic knowledge of the premises so that identifying problem areas and closing off continued water supply can be done quickly. Move company or personal assets to dry areas. This will assist any mitigation professional’s labor and expense to quickly access wet areas.
• Initiate a spreadsheet to document costs specifically related to the loss. Categorize them to structure repairs, contents dry-out and losses, and costs associated with keeping your business running in the wake of the event. Insurance adjusters will look to classify claims costs into at least these three categories, where applicable, to set company claim-reserves.
• Proper documentation of the business financials throughout the year can help a great deal. In the event of a claim, insurance adjusters will consider prior performance to establish business interruption losses during a period of restoration.

Effective prevention measures and post-loss mitigation techniques can either avoid or relieve claim costs. Both can have positive effects in reducing claims frequency and severity. Perhaps we’ll be spared double-digit extremes for the next several years or more. However, planning for the worst is better than no plan at all.

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This article originally posted in 2019 and was updated in 2025.

Note: This communication is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to offer legal, tax, or client-specific risk management advice. Information in this communication is not meant to describe specific coverages that may be advisable or available to you or your company, or to interpret specific coverages that may already be in place. General insurance descriptions in this communication do not include complete insurance policy definitions, terms, and/or conditions, and should not be relied on for coverage interpretation. Actual insurance policies must always be consulted for full coverage details and analysis. View our privacy notice.