Getting Your Plumbing Through a Hard Freeze in Northwest Arkansas

Why freezes hit us harder than people expect

Northwest Arkansas doesn't have long winters, which is exactly the problem. Houses aren't always built or prepared for several days of deep cold, and a hard freeze can arrive after weeks of mild weather when nobody has hoses disconnected or vents closed.

Water expands as it freezes. That swelling is what splits pipes and fittings, and it often happens in places you don't think about: an outdoor spigot, a line in a crawlspace, a pipe along an exterior wall. The break usually happens when the ice thaws and the water starts flowing, which is why the flood tends to show up the day after the cold.

Before the freeze: spigots and outdoor lines

Outdoor faucets are the most common casualty. A hose left attached traps water in the spigot and the pipe behind it, and that's enough to freeze and split the line inside the wall. Spend ten minutes before a cold snap on these:

• Disconnect every garden hose and drain it
• Look for a shutoff valve inside the house that feeds the outdoor spigot, close it, and open the outside spigot to let the line drain
• Cover spigots that can't be shut off from inside with an insulated cover
• Drain and shut down irrigation lines and backflow assemblies

Before the freeze: crawlspaces and exterior walls

Pipes in crawlspaces, garages and along outside walls are exposed to cold air, and the vents and gaps around them often let in more than you'd think. A few simple steps help:

• Close crawlspace vents and seal obvious gaps where cold air gets in
• Wrap exposed pipes with foam insulation sleeves
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes
• Let a faucet fed by an exposed line drip slowly during the coldest nights
• Keep the thermostat set steady, even if you're traveling

A slow drip matters because moving water is harder to freeze, and it relieves pressure if ice does form in the line.

If a pipe freezes but hasn't burst

If you turn on a faucet and nothing comes out, you may have a frozen line. Leave the faucet open, and warm the pipe gently with a hair dryer or by raising the temperature in the space. Never use an open flame, a torch or a propane heater on a pipe. That's a fire risk, and it can damage the pipe. If you can't find or reach the frozen section, call a plumber instead of guessing.

When a pipe bursts: the first ten minutes

The first priority is stopping the water. Know where your main shutoff is before winter, because looking for it while water runs across the floor is a bad time to learn.

• Shut off the main water valve at the house
• Open a faucet or two to drain what's left in the lines
• Turn off power to any room where water is near outlets or appliances
• Move belongings out of the way and soak up what you can
• Take photos of the damage for your records and your insurance
• Call a plumber and say clearly that a pipe has burst

A real freeze story from the review file

One homeowner, Eric Babcock, shared his experience in a Google review in December 2025. He wrote that he "called them to fix a leak stemming from a frozen water spigot. They were super responsive, even given the busy holiday season. Cody was professional, efficient, and transparent about the necessary repairs/costing."

The lesson in that story isn't about the spigot. It's about timing. Freezes and holidays tend to land together, and everyone calls at once. Know who you'll phone before you need to, and keep the number somewhere you can find it. Put it on the fridge or in your phone's favorites now, while the pipes are still intact, so you aren't searching online with wet socks and a dripping ceiling.

Frozen yard lines and water mains

Cold can reach the buried part of your system too. If a main freezes and bursts or is otherwise damaged, you may notice low water pressure, standing water in the yard or an excessive water bill. Those are the same signs as any yard line leak, and they call for the same fast response: shut off the water and have the line looked at.

Hansen Plumbing Pro in Lowell takes emergency calls around the clock for homeowners across Benton and Washington Counties, and handles everything from spigot repairs to water and yard line work with its own excavating equipment. If a freeze has caught you off guard, call (479) 236-1861.